


Prince of Konoha

by AKAwestruck



Series: Prince of Konoha [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: ANBU - Freeform, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asexual Character, D/s undertones, Fluff, Kyuubi!Naruto - Freeform, M/M, Snippets, Summons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-08
Updated: 2016-09-08
Packaged: 2018-10-19 04:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10631757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKAwestruck/pseuds/AKAwestruck
Summary: Naruto has been groomed by the Sandaime to become Hokage, and has always had the loyalty of the ANBU. Particularly Kakashi.





	1. Lost

**Author's Note:**

> Cross posted on ff net, where it is complete.

There was no excuse, really. No justification for why he had left the baby in someone else's care.

He knew the things that could happen to orphans in Konoha.

Particularly orphans the villagers had reason to dislike.

* * *

 

Maybe he could claim it was because of the fox.

It wasn't. He didn't care about the fox.

Maybe he could claim it was because the boy looked so much like his father.

It wasn't. He would have liked a reminder of the man who was practically his father, too.

Maybe he could claim it was because he was a coward.

It wasn't. He was a coward, but this wasn't a thing that scared him.

* * *

No, he had just been hurting. If his heart had been carved out of his chest, that would have been kinder.

He had abandoned the baby because he had abandoned everything. Everything that made him 'Kakashi' had to be scrubbed away, had to be forgotten and left behind.

Like his father had left him behind (his fault).

Like Obito had left him behind (his fault).

Like Rin had left him behind (his fault).

Like Minato had left him behind (his fault).

He joined the ANBU as Dog. No one could hurt Dog. No one could leave Dog behind.

Dog didn't need a heart. Dog didn't need to remember. Dog only needed to serve the Hokage.

* * *

Three years later, Dog scented toddler in the Hokage's office. Dog ignored it.

* * *

Dog ignored the heavy panting of Deer, newly arrived to the office and smelling of paint. He didn't look over.

The Hokage did. His impassive face twitched.

Deer whined.

The Hokage burst into chuckles. "He got you, did he?"

"You know who did this!"

"Of course. Talented, isn't he?"

"I'm orange."

The Hokage waved off Deer's concern and gave them their mission. "And perhaps get a change of clothes first, hm?"

* * *

The toddler smell that had pervaded the Hokage's office and surroundings for the past three years was strong. Fresh.

It got like this occasionally. Dog studiously ignored it, not even allowing the slightest hitch in his step as he, Bat, and Hawk arrived to report back.

There was a young boy in the Hokage's office, perched on a bookshelf among stacks of paper and books. His wide blue eyes scanned the ANBU and dismissed them.

Sometimes it was helpful to be dismissed.

Not when they were in full ANBU gear.

Not by _this_ boy.

"Dog, report," the Third ordered.

Hawk cleared his throat pointedly.

From the corner of his eye, Dog saw the boy smirk.

"I'm aware, Hawk. Report."

Dog gave the verbal mission report succinctly, not filtering any of the brutality.

The boy was grim, but not horrified.

"Thoughts, Naruto?"

Dog refused to flinch at being forced to confront the boy's identity.

"We need a better information network. If we had been able to accurately assess the threat levels, Lynx and Bat could have swapped missions and three more nin would have survived."

"Enemy shinobi."

"Enemies do not have to stay so," the boy replied firmly.

The Third smiled approval. "Anything for our ANBU before I dismiss them?"

The boy's gaze swept over them again.

Dog felt the weight of it keenly.

He was relieved and disappointed when the boy shook his head.

The ANBU left.

* * *

The boy was at most of the ANBU's reports after that.

Lynx and Rabbit acted as if he was a cute little brother.

Those who complained about the 'demon brat' were soon silenced.

The entire building smelled of the boy, now.

* * *

Six years after the Kyuubi, the Uchihas were slaughtered.

Dog investigated. Dog helped clear the bodies. Dog eventually moved on to other missions.

Dog suspected the Hokage knew who had ordered it.

Dog's trust fractured. Cracked. Broke.

Kakashi's old hurts had numbed.

This new one still bled.

* * *

Kakashi stood with Rabbit, Bat, and Deer. Rabbit was in the worst shape, uniform torn and splattered with blood.

The boy's eye swept over them.

Checked Rabbit over. Dismissed him.

Flicked over Bat and Deer. Dismissed them.

Locked onto Kakashi. Scanned him. Noted the curve of his shoulders, the angle of his legs.

Caught Kakashi's eye.

They stared for a moment.

The boy slid his eyes away, but Kakashi felt his attention for the rest of the meeting.

Part of him regretted that he was no longer being dismissed.

But only part.

* * *

Kakashi's shoulder was just tender enough to warrant carrying all his groceries in the opposite hand.

They weren't heavy, but revealing his weakness rankled.

"Get out of here, monster!"

Kakashi didn't freeze. His head didn't whip around.

He drifted off to a stall as if he was looking to buy even more onions.

Then he glanced over, casually.

The boy was glaring at an old shopkeeper. The woman was gesturing wildly and scowling.

The boy snapped right back until she grabbed a broom. Then he left, head high and proud as a prince.

He was a prince.

Son of the Fourth. Groomed by the Third to be the Fifth (or perhaps Sixth).

Every ANBU knew he was a prince.

So why, when Kakashi strolled past the alley the boy had ducked into, did he look so much like a lost child?

* * *

His tongue had slipped.

It had been an accident.

Really.

Lynx and Rabbit had been the ones who had taken it up.

All the ANBU used it now, though.

Called the boy Prince.

The little smirk that danced around the edge of the boy's lips pleased Kakashi.

The true smile now gifted to Lynx and Rabbit did not.

Kakashi had never wanted anything more than to tell the boy who had given him that nickname and receive a smile of his own.

He had never wanted anything less.

* * *

 

The boy was perched on his usual throne, tucked in among the official documents he surely should not have been cleared to see.

Kakashi could smell wolf on the boy. All over the boy.

Lion, next to him, growled.

Kakashi's feeling exactly. Thank you, Inuzaka noses.

"Lion?"

"Why does P- Naruto smell like wolves?"

"I'm a summoner now. I'd appreciate if you kept it quiet."

"Not monkeys?" Lion asked. There had been something of a betting pool going. Monkeys. Foxes. Toads.

Wolves had not been on the list.

"It was a personal choice. I feel they suit me. Report."

Kakashi did so, unthinking.

He may have paused slightly longer than necessary for a breath when he realized.

He had just taken an order from the boy.

* * *

A particularly grueling mission ended in near disaster.

Something during the report must have given Kakashi away.

He was asked to take a break from ANBU, just for a while.

Kakashi's apartment was empty.

The training fields were empty.

The streets were empty.

The memorial stone was too full.

* * *

Pakkun sneezed as he trotted back to his master. "Smelled a wolf over in the next field, Boss."

Big shook his head. "Three at least."

Socks huffed. "Boys. Get your noses screwed on straight. There were two wolves and a boy."

Kakashi and the Pack finished training.

He had no reason to go over to Field 19.

No reason at all.

And then he was masking his scent, channeling chakra to his feet to silence any noise.

The boy was lounging against a massive, sleeping wolf, body mocking a meditation pose.

A pup was snoozing on the larger's head.

"I'm a sensor, too, you know," the boy commented.

The pup looked up, sharp and alert. Then yawned.

Kakashi mentally cursed and ranted and swore.

He stepped into the clearing casually. "Yo."

The boy's backrest opened one eye, took in the sight of Kakashi, and closed it again.

Neither of the humans spoke.

Kakashi refused to become uncomfortable. He slouched, stuffed a hand in one pocket, and read the little yellow book he carried everywhere.

It was soothing, reading about the passions normal people could incite in each other.

The boy dismissed his summons as the sun was going down.

He nodded to Kakashi.

He left.

* * *

Kakashi bought a cheap pair of bells at a shop.

He administered the bell test.

The team failed.

Kakashi was unsurprised.

As far as his month went, it ranked slightly above eating and sleep but somewhat below the breath holding contest with Gai.

* * *

The boy was in Field 19 again.

Kakashi refused to admit he had been stretching his senses every visit, just in case.

He finished his training.

The boy was sandwiched between two large wolves, both mottled brown and red. One of them snarled at Kakashi, then grumbled and drifted off again. The other wagged its tail before ignoring him.

The boy gave him a curious glance.

"Yo."

"Hello."

Kakashi leaned against a tree and read his book.

The boy nodded and left at sundown.

* * *

Kakashi reported in, describing the dull escort mission to the Hokage directly only because of the supposedly 'delicate' political situation.

The Third was somewhere between disappointed and disgruntled by Kakashi's new, lax attitude.

Kakashi wanted to snarl at the Hokage, demand to know what he had expected when he'd torn the ANBU away.

Then the boy tipped his head. Looked calmly into Kakashi's eye.

Kakashi glared back.

His ire faded.

Kakashi bowed to the Third and shunshin'd away.

* * *

Kakashi laid out on a tree branch, reading.

The boy was locked in a staring match with a thin young wolf.

Kakashi held the book between his eyes and the sun.

The boy slept on the back of a gorgeous white wolf.

Kakashi hummed as he read.

The boy was settled on the giant wolf's head, the pup balanced precariously in his hair.

* * *

A new team failed the bell test.

They failed very badly.

Kakashi brooded in his apartment.

* * *

Field 19 was empty.

Field 19 was empty, again.

Field 19 was still empty.

* * *

Kakashi visited the Hokage's office to request a mission.

He didn't acknowledge the way his insides untangled when he saw the boy nestled among the papers and books.

The mission was easy. Kakashi didn't need to give a verbal report.

The boy was there when Kakashi did so anyway.

"You might take your Pack out to the Forest of Death," the boy said idly, eyes already back on his papers. "I've found mine enjoys it."

Kakashi hmm'd as he left.

* * *

The Pack did enjoy the Forest of Death.

More so when a few oversized wolves were around to keep the biggest carnivores away.

So, really, it was for the Pack that Kakashi joined the boy's training runs.

* * *

Another team failed.

Kakashi was beginning to get irritated. Surely the Academy instructors knew what sort of test he gave?

This team had been mediocre in all aspects, but particularly the only one Kakashi cared about.

Teamwork.

He wanted to go back to his apartment and shut the world away.

The Forest of Death was empty.

The Pack's chorus of howls was a coincidence, really.

The boy showing up right after must have been, too.

* * *

The dead-looking eye in the mirror stopped Kakashi as he passed.

He snarled at himself. Tugged at his jounin vest viciously.

The stray memory of the boy's laughter cooled him down.

He slammed his fist into the mirror and stared at the shard of glass sticking out of his glove.


	2. Found

Kakashi overheard a rumor after his last report.

Ichiraku's Ramen was very good.

Perhaps he would happen to visit while the boy-

Was there already.

During Academy hours.

With three other boys.

The Nara, Akimichi, and Inuzaka heirs were loud.

So was the boy.

He was grinning, laughing, shoving.

Not a care in the world.

Kakashi's stomach dropped.

Where was the shy, rare smile of his- of the ANBU's Prince?

Why wasn't the boy even looking his way?

* * *

The Third summoned Kakashi to his office.

The boy was there, standing solemnly behind the desk.

"Kakashi. You will be Team 7's jounin instructor."

Kakashi resisted a grimace. Again? And even the Hokage was privy to it, this time.

He nodded anyway.

"Team 7 this year consists of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki."

Kakashi's world froze.

The boy was watching him, blank yet intent.

The Hokage had an indulgent smile. "I trust you will teach them well."

"Yes, Hokage."

The boy said nothing as Kakashi left.

* * *

The Forest of Death was empty.

Field 19 was empty.

The streets were empty.

Kakashi's apartment was empty.

The memorial stone was too full.

* * *

Kakashi lost track of time, carving up training dummies in Field 18.

He went home, changed.

Let an eraser fall on his head.

His gaze swept his three students, not pausing even slightly for the boy.

"My first impression is… I dislike you."

_Lying liar who lies. You're abandoning him again? He left first… Empty, so empty…_

"Meet me on the roof in five minutes."

Easy enough for someone who trained regularly in the Forest of Death.

Just a bit out of reach for newly-minted genin sprinting at top speed.

Sasuke and the boy burst out onto the roof in five minutes, seventeen seconds. Sakura trotted up a minute later.

Kakashi waved for the three to sit. "Why don't you introduce yourselves?"

"Could you give us an example, sensei?" Sakura requested.

Kakashi gave them a blatantly false smile. He did not want to introduce himself to the boy. The boy already knew him in the way that mattered. Kakashi desperately did not want to disappoint him with the rest.

Even though the boy's false persona had already disappointed Kakashi.

Kakashi spoke anyway. "Kakashi Hatake. I have some likes… dislikes… You're not old enough to know my hobbies… Dreams…"

Sakura frowned. Sasuke glowered through his mask of indifference.

The boy's lips quirked in a slight smile.

Kakashi felt his insides glow.

Sakura glanced at the rivals and cleared her throat. "Sakura Haruno. What I like is…" She glanced at Sasuke. "What I dislike is loud people. My hobbies are…" She looked at Sasuke again. "My dream is…" She blushed.

Kakashi was reminded of the past. He deliberately looked at Sasuke, who scowled.

"Sasuke Uchiha. My dislikes outnumber my likes. My hobby is training. I don't have a dream. Instead, my ambition… to kill a certain man and restore my clan."

That was worrying. Wishing death upon someone else usually ended up looking very similar to a 'death wish.'

The group turned to look at the boy.

He smiled cheekily.

"Naruto Uzumaki! I like Jiji and my summons and Konoha and ramen. I dislike war and the three-minute wait after you add hot water to ramen. My hobbies are helping Jiji, growing plants, and training. My dream is to bring peace to the Five Nations when I become Hokage."

Sakura snorted. "Who would make _you_ Hokage?"

_The Third. Every ANBU. Me._

The boy - Naruto grinned at Sakura. "I'll have the hat before I'm twenty, believe it!"

"Whatever. And you don't even have summons!"

Kakashi shifted his crouch slightly to regain their attention. "The real genin test is at Training Field 7, seven o'clock. Don't eat breakfast, you'll throw up."

He flickered away to a nearby roof.

Sasuke left immediately, Sakura cutting off mid-rant to chase after him.

Naruto stretched out on the roof and watched the clouds.

Kakashi flickered back down.

One of the boy's eyes drifted open and he shaded his gaze.

"Yo."

"Hello."

For once, the boy's attention didn't wander off. Their eyes remained locked.

Kakashi didn't know what to say. What to do.

"Sit." Naruto patted the roof next to his side.

Kakashi sat, parallel to the boy, no longer trapped by his eyes.

"I've the lowest grades in class, you know? Of course you do, you always get stuck with the Team 7 assignment. Sorry about that. I tried to talk Jiji out of it."

Kakashi's chest was too tight. So the boy didn't want him as a sensei. Okay. He would just pass them and then request a new instructor. Duty done. Kakashi could do that.

"I'm glad for it this year, though."

What?

"No one better for me or Sasuke. Sakura might be a bit of a puzzle, but you're quite capable of turning decent into impressive."

Kakashi shivered. He couldn't help it. The boy wanted him to be his sensei. Trusted his abilities. Despite his past as ANBU. Because of his past as ANBU.

"I don't set out to hide myself, you know?" Naruto resettled his position. "It's just, what do we do at the Academy that requires handling market policies or assigning shinobi to the best long- and short-term strategic positions? I'm as new at this genin stuff as anybody else. So I try not to act like a know-it-all and…" He sighed, turned to rest his cheek on the roof. "I just get loud; you know? And stupid. And they laugh and it's great and. Yeah."

Kakashi didn't respond. Didn't move. He could feel the boy's sincerity. It was exhilarating, to have his trust. Almost as good as a real smile.

But not, because then the boy would be _smiling_.

"It's not like I'm lying. But it still feels deceitful, you know? Because they see me when I'm all awkward and think that's the default. I don't want that. Not because it could mean they won't take me seriously as Hokage - because I know they will, Shika will, he already does - but it just doesn't sit right, them not really knowing me."

Naruto pulled himself up and folded over, resting his chest on his knees and tilting his head to watch Kakashi.

Kakashi watched him back.

This boy was his future Hokage. He would be great. Greater than any of his forbearers. Greater than Minato.

The boy looked away.

"Sorry for rambling. I only- " He was on his feet in a moment, ready to disappear. "I'll leave you alone now."

Kakashi had hold of the boy's sleeve before he'd decided to respond.

The boy looked back at him, obviously bewildered.

"What did you 'only'?"

The boy looked away. Kakashi felt the loss of those eyes.

"I-" The boy's eyes darted back to Kakashi's face, then fell again. He spoke all in a rush, "I won't tell anyone you know me from the training grounds. It's better if they think you just know me from being my jounin instructor. My Pack's already agreed to pretend not to know yours, if that's acceptable."

"You don't want anyone to know you know me?"

If his voice sounded slightly strangled. Well. Kakashi had no excuse.

He dropped the boy's sleeve.

Naruto took a step closer. "No! No, I mean, it would cause trouble for you, right? I don't want to be any trouble. You're already going to have to deal with my weird schedule and me and Sasuke's rivalry thing and the Fox chakra and my summons and… I know I'm a lot to deal with. You don't need the sort of rumors knowing me churns up."

Kakashi lifted his hand again, slowly, contemplating just what he was about to do. Second guessing himself. Berating himself. Remembering the shattered mirror.

He touched the hem of the boy's orange jacket. Grasped the material.

Smoothly tucked his leg underneath himself, so he was on one knee.

"Let them tell everyone how I know my future Hokage."

The boy stood rock still for a moment.

Kakashi's head was bowed, so he couldn't see the boy's expression. The silence frightened him.

Then a small hand was sliding through Kakashi's hair, petting him.

Naruto took a step closer. Kakashi's forehead nearly touched the boy's chest. He was so small.

The hand left Kakashi's hair and trailed down the side of his face until it cupped his jaw.

He looked up.

Those bright blue eyes were studying him. Kakashi felt as vulnerable as if a Yamanaka was reading his mind.

What was the boy seeing?

Kakashi's honesty?

His brokenness?

His desperation?

The boy's face lit in a slight, honest smile.

"Then I'll be a Hokage you can be proud of, as well as a student."

His thumb stroked Kakashi's jaw. Kakashi let himself lean in to the touch. Gave his control up to the boy, just a bit.

The boy's smile began to fade.

Was Kakashi not supposed to do that? Did the boy not want his allegiance yet? Ever? What-

The boy stepped forward and his hand slid back into Kakashi's hair. Another hand touched Kakashi's back, lightly tucking him into the boy's chest.

He smelled of wolf and ink and sunshine.

Kakashi closed his eye.

"You trust me so much," the boy murmured. "I want to be worthy of that. But I don't know if I am."

Kakashi pressed his forehead closer. "You are, my little prince."

Had he said that aloud? He hadn't meant to. Maybe he had. Maybe-

The boy's chest shook when he chuckled. "A prince, and little, and yours? I suppose."

Kakashi's arms went around the boy's waist quite of their own accord.

The pair stayed that way awhile, Naruto sliding his fingers through Kakashi's hair while Kakashi resettled himself.

The boy drew away first, reluctantly, trailing his hand along Kakashi's face.

It hurt to let him go.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Yes."

"Don't be on time on my account."

Another knot in Kakashi's chest untwisted. The implicit promises of _I won't leave_ and _I won't make you change_ felt so, so good.

Kakashi smiled and flickered away.

-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-

He stopped in front of the empty space that had once held a mirror.

Shame rose up in Kakashi, strangling him.

So weak he had to submit to a child for the sake of his own self-worth.

Kakashi braced himself against the wall and breathed deeply.

Not a child. The future Hokage. The brilliant, kind, generous future Hokage.

Only a child for now.

His hands twisted into fists, but Kakashi continued on his way.

* * *

His little prince was arguing and waving chopsticks at Sakura when Kakashi arrived at Field 7. Sasuke was not-scowling at them both.

"Maa, maa, so energetic."

The boy- Naruto, Kakashi needed to think of him as Naruto, no matter how mixed-up it made him feel. Otherwise he'd call him Prince in front of his teammates.

Naruto grinned at him, brilliant and honest. "You're late, sensei!"

He sounded amused, maybe even pleased. Kakashi smiled back.

"I had to help get a cat out of a tree," he lied easily, knowing his little prince- knowing Naruto wouldn't believe it.

"Sensei, Naruto's trying to get us to eat!"

"Maa, too late now." He held up two bells. The real bells, for this team. "To become genin, you need one of these bells. There are only two, so one of you will be returning to the academy." He clipped the bells to his belt and held up an alarm clock. "This alarm is set to noon. You have until it goes off to retrieve the bells. Anyone who doesn't get a bell also doesn't get lunch."

He surveyed his team. Naruto looked contemplative, eyes moving from bells, to clock, to Kakashi's face. Sasuke's eyes were narrowed on the bells. Sakura was darting glances at Sasuke.

"If you want any chance, come at me with intent to kill."

"But we'll hurt you!"

Naruto laughed.

Sakura hit him.

Kakashi resisted the urge to whip a kunai at the girl.

"Don't laugh! We can't hurt sensei!"

"Exactly, Sakura. We're genin. Kakashi-sensei could take two dozen of us without getting a scratch."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence," Kakashi drawled. "All the easier for me if you want to waste time…"

"You haven't said go!"

"Hm?" Kakashi brought out his book and began to read. "Go."

Sasuke leapt into the bushes with impressive speed for his age.

Sakura less so.

Naruto stretched, then called out, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Hundreds of Narutos filled the clearing.

Kakashi's breath didn't hitch, but it was a near thing.

From behind him one called out, "Neh, sensei?"

"Hm?"

He heard metal tapping metal and turned to look, casting a minor genjutsu to hide the concession.

One of Naruto's clones - or Naruto himself - was hefting the alarm clock, tapping a kunai to its side.

"You said we had until the alarm goes off, yeah? So what if it doesn't?"

A bit of fancy flickering, genjutsu, and replacement stole the clock from Naruto's hands.

"You'd have to stop it to find out," Kakashi replied, eye-smiling.

Naruto frowned, then shrugged. "Full Frontal Assault!"

Kakashi dispatched the clones with far more ease than he should have been able to. Their form ranged from terrible to downright wrong.

Hadn't his little prince said he didn't intentionally mask his abilities? What was this?

But then the clones were gone and Sasuke was aiming a fireball at him.

He dispatched Sasuke as comically as possible. Let the genin keep low expectations of him.

Sakura got a genjutsu. She had the control to break out, but not the mental fortitude. Unfortunate.

Almost as disappointing was that Naruto didn't appear to help out his teammates.

Kakashi refused to doubt his little prince.

He set up a clone in the clearing and found Naruto, trailing the boy as he wandered the forest.

Yes, Naruto regularly trained his tracking abilities with wolves in the Forest of Death.

But Kakashi did the same with dogs, and had experience with suppression techniques against enemies actually trying to kill him.

His little prince would learn.

"Sakura?"

"Naruto! What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." He crouched near Sakura's head, eyeing the ground where the rest of her was buried. "Do you know how we can get you out?"

Sakura scowled, then sighed. "Just dig a bit and pull my shoulders. The ground's not hard, I just can't get any leverage."

Naruto nodded and obeyed.

"I think we should all work together," he said as he worked.

"You're not taking Sasuke's bell!"

"It's not- never mind. I mean, do you really think he can send just one of us back? Genin teams always work in threes."

"He said he could. They must reorganize the teams after everyone passes."

"What about Ino's team, then? You know they're not going to get split up."

Sakura was unburied enough to pull herself out, and did so. She looked at Naruto warily. "They could have a different test."

"That's hardly fair."

The girl frowned. Finally, finally her brain started ticking. Maybe 'fairness' wasn't the best thing to make a shinobi pause, but she was young.

"Fine. If we're all passing or failing together, what's the point of the bells?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe there's another one hidden around and we're supposed to realize objectives aren't always obvious or something? I thought maybe we were just supposed to stop the clock, since shinobi don't fight fair, but Kakashi-sensei didn't react right for that to be it."

"Let's ask Sasuke! He'll be able to figure it out!"

"Uh. Sure. But we've already used up a half-hour, you know? We'll need to be quick."

Kakashi trailed them as they went in search of their third teammate.

Seeing through the test wasn't quite the point, but if they got Sasuke to help them plan, he was willing to concede the victory. Not without some scare tactics to be sure, of course.

Sasuke was not receptive to his teammates' pleas.

"But what if you get the stupid bells and still fail!"

"Shut up, dork."

Kakashi cheerfully imagined gagging the Uchiha with his own crested shirt.

"Sasuke… I think Naruto's right this time. It doesn't make sense to only let two of us pass. There's something he and I aren't seeing. I'm sure you can figure it out, though, right?"

Oh, she could hardly have played that better if she'd tried.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, willing to consider the question, if only to prove his superiority.

Kakashi doubted the loner would come up with 'teamwork', but whatever he did think of would reveal something about his psyche.

"Hn."

"You figured it out! What do we need to do?"

"Did he say we needed _those_ bells?"

Naruto slumped. "Yeah. 'To become genin, you need one of these bells. There are only two.' That's what he said, but he also said one of us would have to return to the Academy, so maybe it was all lies?"

"What's the point of a test if none of the rules are real, though? That's not testing anything."

"We're wasting time," Sasuke muttered.

"Maybe that's it? How we work under pressure with impossible goals?" Naruto offered.

Sakura nodded. "Then we need to try for the bells anyway. What do we do if we get them?"

Naruto chuckled. "If we get them, it will be because he let us, you know? So the question is, if a jounin instructor gives a team of three two bells and says, 'The two with bells get to be genin,' what should the team do?"

"Refuse the bells," Sasuke replied instantly.

"What? We'd fail!"

"No, he's right, Sakura. You hear that situation, it's obvious the instructor's just trying to get the team to fight each other."

"But the answer to a problem isn't to ignore the problem!"

"Share the bells," Sasuke said.

Now it was Naruto's turn to ask, "What?"

"He didn't say, 'The two with bells get to be genin.' He said, 'To become genin, you need one of these bells.' Bells aren't divisible. If two people share a bell, they both have a bell."

Garbage logic, but oh well. They were young.

"So we try and get the bells. If he gives us the bells, Sakura and I both hold onto the same one. Yeah?"

The other two nodded.

"We've got a little under an hour left. How are we getting the bells?"

The team all looked at each other blankly.

Naruto sighed. "We haven't worked together enough to have even a prayer against a jounin."

"We have to try!"

"Let's go." Sasuke broke from formation and shot toward the clearing again.

Naruto sprinted to follow, Sakura tagging along behind.

Kakashi defended against them easily, though by the end Naruto and Sasuke had worked their way into something of a pattern of attack. Even if Naruto's taijutsu was still hopeless.

The alarm went off.

"You all…"

The three collapsed, panting.

"Fail!"

* * *

Watching the future Hokage garden was humbling.

Being the one who had handed him the mission to do so was amusing.

Listening to civilians mutter complaints about 'the demon brat' was infuriating.

* * *

His little prince was bouncing around the Forest of Death, delightedly making use of the tree walking Kakashi had taught them that week.

Kakashi landed next to him when the boy stopped to bask in a patch of sunlight.

"You shouldn't be out here without your Pack."

Naruto smiled cheekily. "You're here now, aren't you?"

Kakashi ruffled the boy's hair and took off.

Bright, infectious laughter trailed in his wake.

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura had already gone. Naruto was frowning at a training dummy.

"I've never heard of a taijutsu that calls for staring your opponent to death."

The boy snorted. "You've never worked with the right people, then. They nicknamed it 'Flight or Die.' Insanely focused Killing Intent."

Kakashi leaned on the dummy. "Funny, I'm not feeling particularly scared."

"I don't have the Killing Intent to frighten a cat. They're more interested in clawing my eyes out."

"Tora is not representative."

"You're right, the others make Tora look positively domesticated."

Kakashi tucked his book away. "What has the dummy done to offend you?"

Naruto's eyes dragged away from the dummy to meet Kakashi's. "Could you check my kata? I feel like- I mean, just correct me as I go, yeah?"

"Sure. But it may be the Academy jutsu just isn't for you."

"Then you can suggest something afterward. Thanks, sensei."

Naruto took Kakashi's near-continuous corrections with patience.

"I'll need to practice more."

"There's a more power-based style you might like."

The boy looked at Kakashi, then the ground. "What you've seen might not be representative of how I fight."

Kakashi forced an easy eye-smile. "Oh?"

"I thought I just wasn't suited to taijutsu, so I compensated, but…"

Kakashi wasn't a genius for nothing. "I'll kill them."

"No. They're perfectly good teachers for the other students."

Kakashi resisted the urge to growl. "At least tell the Hokage."

"I will," Naruto agreed. "What do you think of throwing some sparring into our next run with the Packs? I'd like to integrate them into any style…"

Kakashi let his little prince distract him.

* * *

After yet another team training session ended with Sakura punching Naruto and chasing after Sasuke, Kakashi settled against a tree with his book and waited for his little prince to exhaust himself practicing his new, and much improved, taijutsu.

Naruto joined Kakashi by the tree and leaned into him.

"It would be easy to let it slip that your Jiji is the Hokage," Kakashi commented.

The boy hummed. "Almost as easy as mentioning your bingo book entry."

"Maa, maa, no need to threaten," Kakashi rejected, amused.

"Just making an observation. They might complain less about the training times. And maybe be less distracted?"

Of course the boy would make this about helping Kakashi.

"Or be more distracted and insist I change my habits."

"Also possible. I've been trying harder not to go out of my way to avoid mentioning it, but."

"But?"

Naruto buried his head in Kakashi's side. "It'll hurt, when they refuse to believe the Hokage could care about someone like me."

"They don't know you properly," Kakashi assured him quietly.

He decided not to say anything.

* * *

Kakashi slipped up only once, during their journey to the Land of Waves, glancing at Naruto when his team asked if they should carry on.

The other kids didn't notice a thing, and Naruto just smiled and refrained from giving any indication either way.

"Protocol," he explained to Kakashi, later. "Technically, I would have been speaking for Jiji, which would have had to show up in the mission reports. I'm not supposed to exercise that power without cause."

Kakashi nodded his understanding, concealing the abject awe he felt.

Madness, to give a twelve-year-old the rank powers of a Hokage.

Unsurprising, since any ANBU would obey as if he had them, anyway.

* * *

Field 19 was once again home to a large white wolf, this time curled around a relatively tiny boy.

Kakashi stepped closer slowly, cautious of the protective female.

Until she nudged Naruto to look up.

Kakashi's waist was captured. The wolf dismissed itself.

"What's wrong, my little prince?" He slung his arms loosely around the boy.

Naruto's words were muffled.

"Hm?"

The boy pulled away, skittish enough to have left entirely if Kakashi had let him.

He didn't meet Kakashi's eyes.

Kakashi sat and easily drew the boy down into his lap.

"Naruto?"

The boy ducked his head into Kakashi's shoulder. "Don't hate me."

Kakashi's heart cracked, but his body betrayed nothing. He ran a hand lightly up and down Naruto's back.

"I don't hate you."

Naruto curled closer, shaking.

"You will, though."

"I won't."

"Everyone does."

"Your Jiji?"

Naruto didn't reply.

"Jiji doesn't hate you. I don't hate you. Lynx and Rabbit don't hate you. Iruka doesn't hate you."

"Nobody knows," the boy whispered.

Fear twisted in Kakashi's chest. "Knows what, Naruto?"

"You'll hate me."

"I won't."

"You won't trust me."

"I will."

"You'll tell."

"I won't."

Naruto's hands clutches tighter at Kakashi's jacket.

"My little prince, tell me," Kakashi said, breathing his words into Naruto's hair.

"It's me. I'm the Fox."

"Mizuki was lying, Naruto. You're not the Kyuubi."

"I _am_ , though. I've always been. We're so wrapped together in my head we'll never come apart."

Naruto was so tense against him, Kakashi was afraid to move.

"I don't hate you, Naruto."

"But I- I killed them. So many people. I have nightmares about it. I can see them. I st- stepped on- "

"That wasn't you."

"It _was_." The boy pulled back and looked into Kakashi's eye. "Me and the Fox are separate, but we're the same, too. I'm the Fox. I _am_ , Kakashi. I-" There were tears in his eyes.

Kakashi reached up and wiped them away. "Okay. I don't hate you. I do trust you. I won't tell anyone. It's okay, my little prince."

It wasn't. It really, really wasn't. But no matter what Naruto said, all Kakashi could see was the brilliant boy who had captured every ANBU's heart. Who liked Jiji and his wolf summons and Konoha and ramen. Who was going to become Hokage and attempt to bring peace to the Five Nations.

Naruto was watching Kakashi closely, blue eyes still wide and wet.

"I don't hate you, Naruto. Neither will the Third or Iruka or Lynx or Rabbit, if you tell them. We know you."

The boy's breath was quick and his eyes were darting, searching for something.

Then his face was smooshed against Kakashi's own, brow to cheek, nose to jaw, warm even through the mask.

It broke Kakashi's heart, a bit, that the only sign of affection Naruto could think to give was based on wolf behavior.

Kakashi took Naruto's face in one hand and tilted their heads so that he could press a kiss to Naruto's forehead.

Then he pulled the boy up and over to the tree line. Kakashi rested his back against a tree and easily arranged his little prince's head to rest on Kakashi's leg.

Naruto fisted one hand in Kakashi's shirt and slowly slipped off to sleep.

Kakashi petted Naruto's hair with one hand while he held his book in the other.

* * *

"What scared you?"

Naruto turned his head deeper into Kakashi's leg.

"Naruto."

"Met Sand's jinchuuriki. He's… not like me. It was fine. Nothing happened. But."

Kakashi scraped his fingers along Naruto's scalp lightly. The boy arched into his hand.

"I had a nightmare, is all. Worse than usual."

Nightmares shouldn't be usual. Kakashi desperately wanted to find Jiraiya and demand that he _fix this_ but he had sworn not to tell and so he wouldn't, even though it was already eating him up inside.

Naruto propped up and braced himself with one hand behind Kakashi's neck.

"I'm okay, Kakashi."

"You're not."

"No, I'm not," Naruto agreed. "But I'm no worse than I've ever been and much better than I could be."

Kakashi nodded. He wanted to let that be the end of it and move on, but. "What- what about you is the Fox?"

The boy shrugged. "Everything. Nothing. I've no not-Fox self to compare to. I think I matured faster than I might've, have some more chakra, maybe a bit extra clever. Definitely heal faster. More inclined to pranks." He grinned a quirky little grin. Then Naruto ducked his head and leaned closer. "If everything that would make me a good Hokage is from the Fox…"

"It's not. Even if it was, it's still you."

"But-"

"You're not going to be Hokage because you clever. Plenty of shinobi are clever. I'm clever, myself." Kakashi kissed Naruto's hair. "You are going to be Hokage because you love Konoha, and you believe in people, and I've never met anyone with a stronger Will of Fire. You are going to be Hokage because you see potential allies in enemies. You are loyal and inspire loyalty in others. You lead as easily as breathing." He paused. "And you're clever."

The boy giggled, as intended, and held Kakashi tighter. "And you're going to train me."

"Yes."

"And follow me?"

"Anywhere."

* * *

His little prince was with the Inuzaka for a month. It hurt. Kakashi had been the one to suggest it, but Naruto had been so excited. Hadn't shown the slightest desire to get his training with Kakashi's Pack.

Instead, Kakashi got Sasuke.

The boy wasn't so bad. Much less of a brat than he had been. Still worryingly obsessive.

But Kakashi knew that Naruto would capture the loner's loyalty eventually, and Kakashi would not have his prince's team be weak.

They trained right up to the last minute, then trained some more.

Kakashi dismissed his Kage Bunshin and smiled in satisfaction when he received the memories of Naruto crushing Neji and teaching him a lesson. And inspiring the young man's devotion at the same time.

Kakashi left Sasuke to his fight with the Sand Jinchuriki, Gaara, and flickered to stand just behind Naruto's right shoulder.

At Asuma's raised eyebrow, Kakashi quickly - but casually - corrected his position to be beside the boy instead.

"Hello," Naruto said softly.

"Yo."

Something about the boy's posture…

"You did well with Neji. You've the support of the two strongest Hyuugas of the next generation, now."

The sad tilt disappeared and Naruto chuckled lightly. "That wasn't intentional, you know?"

"That's why I'm so impressed."

Kakashi was glowing. His little prince had been sad when he thought Kakashi hadn't seen the match. He cared about impressing Kakashi.

Kakashi resolved not to take advantage. He wouldn't make his little prince jump through hoops to earn praise.

* * *

The Third was dead. Konoha was safe, Gaara was reformed, and the Third was dead.

The Forest of Death was empty.

Field 19 was empty.

Kakashi's apartment was empty.

The memorial stone was too full.

Naruto's apartment was quiet.

Kakashi found the boy standing at his counter, staring at a full cup of cold ramen.

The boy was too numb to startle when Kakashi pulled him away, pulled him toward the couch and into Kakashi's lap.

Kakashi tucked Naruto's head against his neck and buried his face in the boy's hair.

It took a few minutes for the boy to begin sobbing.

Kakashi was long out of tears, but it felt like his little prince was crying for them both.

* * *

Kakashi woke with a warm weight atop him.

He threaded one hand through his little prince's hair.

A fist tightened against his side.

"Don't look into Sharingan eyes, stupid-sensei."

"I hear and obey, Prince."

"You better," the boy grumbled, not lifting his head from Kakashi's chest.

"What happened?"

"They got away from you and Gai and came after me-" Kakashi's hand fisted. "Ow."

"Sorry," Kakashi murmured, releasing the boy's hair and rubbing the spot to sooth his scalp.

"They lured Jiraiya away with a genjutsu and attacked me, but Sasuke had followed them so he attacked Itachi. They were distracted long enough for Jiraiya to get back and stop them, but then Sasuke was in a coma as well. So we brought him back and then had to go convince Baa-chan - that's Tsunade - to come back and help. So I learned the Rasengan to win a bet with her, but then Orochimaru and Kabuto were there and we had to fight them. But they got away and Tsunade came back with us and helped you and Sasuke and became Hokage."

"You need to work on your verbal reports."

That earned him a light smack to the kidney. "Oof."

"Reports are boring and long."

"Yet you want to be Hokage."

"Boring and long but necessary."

Kakashi chuckled and felt Naruto grin against his chest.

"Kakashi?"

"Yo."

The boy stifled a giggle and whacked him again.

"What did Itachi show you?"

Kakashi petted Naruto and said nothing for a while. The boy didn't press.

"I couldn't move. He stabbed me." Kakashi's voice was monotone. "Then I was healed. And two of him stabbed me. Then I was healed. And four of him stabbed me. Then I was healed. And eight-"

"Look at me."

"-of him stabbed me. Then I was healed. And more of him-"

"Look at me!"

Kakashi's one eye focused on Naruto's two. Kakashi's breathing was still even, betraying not the slightest hint of panic.

The boy was on top of him, Kakashi's head in his hands.

When did he move?

They watched each other.

Kakashi lifted one hand and settled it back on the boy's head. His other hand held Naruto's to his cheek.

"Don't leave me."

"I won't."

"I need you to become Hokage."

"I will."

"I'll train you and you'll beat them."

"Yes."

Naruto leaned down and kissed Kakashi's forehead.

The boy blushed as he pulled away.

Kakashi was delighted with himself for teaching Naruto that. He hummed, delicately giving his approval.

It was cute, Naruto's shy smile.

* * *

Jiraiya wanted to take his little prince away. For two years. For training.

Kakashi wanted to rip the man's traitor head from his lecherous body.

"No."

"Naruto, this is not a negotiation. You'll be safe if the Akatsuki don't know where you are."

"Then we'll make a big show of me leaving. Then I'll stay here and train with the ANBU for a while. And Jiraiya, if he wants."

Tsunade sighed. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I know you don't want to leave your friends here, but this is for the best."

"Why? What benefit will I gain from being exposed on the road? I'm safer here in Konoha."

"Jiraiya needs to travel, and it's important that you learn from him."

"Learn what? I already know the Rasengan, and I doubt he knows Hiraishin."

"Toad summoning is a bit too big to conceal."

Naruto frowned. "What does that have to- oh. I didn't realize… I'm sorry, Baa-chan, but I won't be summoning toads. I've already got a summoning contract, and they're exclusive."

Tsunade blinked.

Kakashi felt a curl of satisfaction.

"What?"

"I'm already spoken for. So no Rasengan, and no Toads. What else can only Jiraiya teach me?"

Tsunade scowled. "Plenty. You're going. That's the end of it, Naruto."

Kakashi saw the exact moment Naruto's trust in Tsunade broke. He wondered if Tsunade could see it, too.

"Alright, Baa-chan. Sorry. When am I leaving?"

By the relief on Tsunade's face, she couldn't.

"Tomorrow before dawn. Get packed."

"Yes. Bye."

Kakashi followed Naruto out before Tsunade could object.

* * *

Kakashi didn't mind being ignored while the boy packed. He recognized the need to get back on an even keel.

Four cups of ramen were steaming, waiting for Naruto when the boy finished.

Kakashi slowly worked through his one while the boy gobbled up three.

His little prince didn't look up once.

Kakashi fully intended to comfort Naruto when he followed the boy to bed, but found himself being held instead, face pressed to the boy's neck.

He still expected himself to be acting as a teddy bear, even as his fingers curled tight into the back of Naruto's jacket.

He didn't beg aloud for his little prince to come back to him, to not leave him behind at all.

Naruto seemed to hear him anyway, and the boy offered gentle reassurances, both explicit and implied.

The boy drifted to sleep before Kakashi, but he didn't extract himself. He listened to Naruto's heartbeat until the boy's alarm went off.

Naruto kissed Kakashi's forehead as he left.

* * *

Only the Pack knew how Kakashi prowled along the roads outside Konoha, just under two years since his little prince had left. Only the Pack knew that Kakashi spent as many nights in Naruto's apartment as his own. Only the Pack knew that Kakashi often stayed in the Forest of Death until well after dark, sprinting among the trees.


	3. Returned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What little 'plot' there is gets both more and less scattered from here. The biting was unexpected, but I went with it.

His little prince wasn't so little anymore. The boy had grown lean and strong. His walk had just a bit of hungry wolf in it, and Kakashi wondered how much time the boy had spent with his Pack.

The boy made an excuse to Jiraiya and leapt into the trees.

"Hello."

"Yo."

Was it just Kakashi, or was Naruto standing just a step too close? Was his smile just a touch too full of fang?

The boy's eyes darted to Jiraiya as the sannin continued to wander toward Konoha. "Brought you a present."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. New Icha Icha, not even released yet."

"Benefits of travelling with the author."

"Benefits of being the editor."

Now Naruto was definitely too close. Definitely too predatory. Gorgeous. Perfect.

"I don't have any presents for you."

"That's fine."

Naruto's breath was brushing against his skin. Kakashi took a small step back.

The boy froze and stepped away quickly, all his alluring grace disappearing as his shoulders bowed. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to… Sorry. I'll just-"

Kakashi had his prince spun around and trapped against a tree in an instant.

He let his own breath tease Naruto's neck. One arm braced himself against the tree while the other hand gripped Naruto's hair.

For his part, Naruto dug his fingers into Kakashi's shoulder blades and let his head fall back.

Kakashi nosed Naruto's pulse.

"Missed you," the boy whispered.

"You're back."

"Promised."

"Stay."

"Yes."

"You can't."

"I know."

"Please."

"Yes."

"My prince."

"Yours."

"I'm yours."

"Mine."

"Yes." Kakashi punctuated this with a kiss against the boy's neck. He gave up bracing himself to let a hand wander down and slip beneath Naruto's jacket, tracing the mesh he found there.

He kissed his prince's neck again, open mouthed. It wasn't satisfying through the mask.

"Kakashi."

He could only hum, too intent on nuzzling the boy.

"Kashi, please."

"Anything."

"Kashi."

"Yours."

Naruto arched toward him, pressing them together deliciously.

"Naruto! Let's go, already! C'mon, brat!"

The boy whined and pulled at Kakashi's hair, not letting him move away.

Kakashi gently let him drop to the ground anyway.

"I'll visit your apartment for my present," he murmured in Naruto's ear.

The boy looked a little dazed as he nodded.

* * *

His prince stayed out late, catching up with all his age-mates.

Kakashi prowled Naruto's apartment, resisting the urge to go out and carry the boy back.

Then Naruto was opening the door.

Then Naruto was being held flat on the bed, Kakashi licking and biting his neck.

The boy laughed breathlessly. "Kashi."

"Naruto."

"I'm home."

"Welcome home," Kakashi replied, pulling away just long enough to strip out of his shirt, mask included.

Naruto put a hand on his chest, freezing Kakashi.

Wrong wrong wrong. They weren't like this. Kakashi shouldn't have done that. His prince didn't want him this way.

But Naruto's eyes were so soft, his mouth curled in a pleased smile.

"Slow down, Kakashi. I'm not going to leave."

Kakashi didn't move. He would do something wrong again. He couldn't-

Naruto pulled him down by his neck, slotting their mouths together gently.

Kakashi spent the next hour worshipping Naruto's lips and face and neck and collarbone and hands.

He slept better than he had in months.

* * *

"Ramen for breakfast?"

"Shut up; it's not like I've had a chance to go shopping! Besides, ramen doesn't expire for ages."

"And yet you put it in your body."

Naruto pouted at the kettle in mock-offended silence.

Kakashi, dressed and masked, ghosted forward and ran a hand lightly up his prince's side.

"What are your plans now that you're back?"

"Baa-chan indicated she had come up with something," Naruto answered evenly.

Kakashi sighed. The woman hadn't had a chance to correct her blunder. She probably hadn't even realized she'd made a mistake.

"Do you have any guesses?" Naruto asked.

"She asked my opinion on a team formation a few weeks ago. I had noticed that there was a conspicuous absence in our tactical roster."

The boy finally turned his head, just enough to look up at Kakashi. "'Our'?"

"Myself, Sakura, and," Kakashi paused. How to refer to the former ANBU without technically breaking any laws? "A former kouhai of mine. Exceptional, but sparse mission records. A bit odd."

His prince smiled sharply.

"Plus another. Unknown to me. No mission records."

The smile morphed into a scowl. "I thought that got cleaned up."

"I had some… doubts."

Naruto twisted around fully, face businesslike despite their proximity. "Explain."

Kakashi looked down. He did not want to cast any stones at the Third. At Naruto's Jiji.

A hand touched his cheek.

Kakashi refocused on Naruto. "There were some protocol inconsistencies concerning the Uchiha Massacre. The Sandaime didn't acknowledge them."

The boy's eyes were hard. "I assumed he kept me away from that due to my age. I don't believe he would have ordered such a thing, but covering it up. Maybe."

Something in Kakashi's expression must have given him away. Naruto leaned closer and smiled softly.

"We'll figure it out. Secrets are for protecting the village, not harming its people."

Kakashi nodded. Even looking so sweet and kind, his prince was deadly serious. Kakashi's eyes dropped to Naruto's lips, wondering if it was appropriate to kiss him again.

Apparently it was.

* * *

Kakashi had a kunai out in an instant.

Naruto wouldn't be pinning this stranger without cause.

Apparently Tsunade disagreed. "Naruto, release him."

Naruto's eyes flicked to Kakashi, confirming that he would remain on guard.

Only then did he release the other boy.

If the wariness and unprotesting capitulation weren't enough to reveal Naruto's distrust, Tsunade had lost her touch.

"Perhaps you should explain?" Tenzou- no, he was called Yamato now, wasn't he?- said.

"Naruto, this will be your new team. Kakashi and Sakura you know. This is Yamato, who will be Kakashi's second-in-command, and Sai."

Naruto flashed a grin and subtle ANBU greeting at Yamato.

"Now, care to explain why you attacked your teammate?"

Kakashi's hackles rose at her tone, but he didn't make a move. Just kept his kunai handy. In case.

"I apologize, Baa-chan. I was attacked earlier today by a nin who refused to identify himself. Although I suspected he wasn't a true threat and therefore declined to chase him, my reaction to finding that nin in the Hokage's office is understandable, you know?"

Oh, entirely. Kakashi had the nin's identity and still felt like ripping out his throat.

Tsunade was thunderous as well. "Sai?"

"I wished to know my new teammates… capabilities."

"You couldn't have asked?" Sakura demanded.

Sai surveyed her impassively.

Kakashi found himself worried about the sudden interest Naruto looked at Sai with.

-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-/-\\-

This was highly inappropriate.

Yamato had the watch outside. Sai was in the tent next door, Sakura one further down.

Kakashi suppressed a moan as Naruto rolled against him once more.

Worshipping his prince's body was nice.

Having himself be admired in turn was beyond all expectations.

Naruto nipped at his collar.

Kakashi's head thumped back against the ground. He twisted to bare his neck. "Bite. Please, Naru, please, Kami-"

He was silenced with a kiss.

Naruto murmured against his lips, "Want to, Kashi. Soon. When we can be as loud as we want."

"Please."

"I will, Kashi, you know I will."

"Want you."

"You have me."

Kakashi thrust up once in response, but their pace lost the frantic edge.

They still tasted each other deeply.

* * *

Naruto was watching Sai all the time, now. Striking up conversations with him. Smiling at him indulgently. Complimenting his art.

Kakashi was torn between wanting to snarl and lunge at the emotionless prick or curl up at his prince's feet and beg not to be forgotten.

Mostly, Kakashi forced himself to focus on the mission.

* * *

Kakashi must have been just a bit too sharp with him earlier, because Naruto had realized something was wrong.

He drew Kakashi away from the team, concealed among the trees.

Kakashi felt like a brat, feigning nonchalance and reading his book. The book Naruto had gifted to him.

"Kakashi? What's wrong?" His voice was so gentle. Kakashi nearly gave in. But that would be selfish, forcing his own need for attention onto Naruto.

Apparently Kakashi had hesitated too long before deflecting, because Naruto slid closer and ran a thumb up Kakashi's jaw.

He couldn't stop himself leaning into it slightly, or sighing breathily.

But he forced himself to pull away.

Naruto's hand dropped.

Sharply, his prince ordered, "Kakashi. Explain yourself."

Since when was Kakashi broken so easily?

"I've become jealous of Sai. Or the way you're always paying attention to him. I'll serve you no matter what, of course. I just. Had hoped you wouldn't stop treating me… the way you have."

Kakashi put his book away and waited for Naruto to scold him. Letting such petty things distract him while their lives were on the line.

Instead, his prince was pulling him down and kissing his one exposed eyelid. Murmuring, "Stupid-sensei. I'm yours." Naruto rested their foreheads together. "I'm aware of you constantly, even if it doesn't look it. I can do that; I'm a sensor. I would never leave your side if I could manage it without disrupting our team."

Kakashi wanted to rejoice. But, "Sai?"

"He's just now learning how to interact with people. I'm trying to cultivate a proper knowledge and desire to do so as himself, rather than that foul-mouthed persona he was trying on. It's been working, too."

Kakashi aborted a motion to kiss his prince. He always wanted to, nowadays, when the boy was acting as the Hokage he would eventually be. But it felt greedy, taking a kiss after admitting to his doubts.

Naruto had no such compunction.

* * *

The stolen time in their tent at the beginning of this mission seemed excruciatingly far away. Now that the boy knew how Kakashi had been feeling, he went out of his way to give Kakashi such _looks_. The way Naruto tilted his head, the smirk at the corner of his mouth, the tongue that darted across his lips.

And it didn't end at looking. Naruto managed to touch Kakashi at every opportunity, brushing his fingers along Kakashi's arm, his back, his shoulder, his wrist, his knee.

Or, when they were just out of earshot, Naruto would change his posture to be just slightly more commanding, and suddenly Kakashi would be faced with his Hokage, giving him the most inane little commands - fresh firewood, rearrange supplies, sharpen the weapons - and praising him for his obedience.

Kakashi was very enthusiastic about expressing his approval, when they found a few minutes of almost-privacy.

* * *

They were finally alone, but Kakashi was no longer in the mood to let Naruto mark him. Not just yet. His prince had been driving him out of his mind all mission, and Kakashi needed to prove he could give as good as he got.

Better, even.

Naruto let himself be thrown onto the bed, laughing.

Hardly satisfying.

Kakashi lunged at the boy and pinned his wrists to the headrest, just on the far side of painful.

No, no, no. Couldn't hurt his prince, couldn't do this. This wasn't-

Naruto bit his lower lip through the mask. "Well? Finish what you started." The boy's head dropped back and his body arched beautifully. "Please."

Instantly willing, Kakashi pulled down his mask and began making liberal use of teeth and fingernails on every scrap of skin he could reach.

Naruto wriggled and gasped and screamed a few times.

* * *

 

Kakashi woke to Naruto twitching and moaning in his sleep. Not good moans.

He knew better than to startle the boy awake.

He didn't know what to do, though. Kakashi hadn't been on this side of a nightmare.

"Naruto?"

The nightmare continued.

Kakashi rubbed Naruto's arm, hoping that that was a safe, non-threatening gesture.

Naruto moaned, and shuddered, and curled in on himself, thankfully toward Kakashi.

He squeezed Naruto's arm.

No luck.

After some internal debate, Kakashi summoned Big.

The nightmare faded in the face of Rottweiler cuddles.

* * *

This time when Kakashi woke, it was to find Naruto straddling his chest.

"Morning, Kashi."

"Yo."

"Big's gone to pick up breakfast."

"Not ramen?"

His prince sighed theatrically. "I don't always eat ramen; you know?"

"I appreciate your sacrifice."

Naruto lit up with a foxy grin. "Do you have any plans for today?"

"Read. Sleep. Maybe go for a run."

Some of the delight dropped away. "Sounds nice." The boy perked back up. "After breakfast, though, right?"

Kakashi looped a hand around Naruto's neck and pulled him down for a kiss. He meant to clarify that _of course_ he would be spending the day with Naruto, but the boy's eagerness didn't let him catch the breath required.

Finally, he flipped them over and stopped Naruto with a sharp nip to the ear.

He pulled back. "What do you want to do today, Naruto?"

The boy squirmed and blushed and looked away. "I dunno. I'll figure something out."

Kakashi ran a hand through Naruto's hair, tugging lightly. " _Want_ to, not plan to."

He nearly lost his self-control when Naruto looked up at him through his lashes.

"Um. I thought- I mean; it'd be nice to visit the Forest of Death? Been awhile 'cause of the mission. So there with, um. The Pack. And." His eyes skittered away.

Kakashi bent down and whispered in Naruto's ear, "How could I refuse an offer like that?"

The boy startled, lining them up perfectly for just a moment. "Really? I mean, you don't have to. You've been stuck with me for weeks, you know?"

"What have I done to make you think I would ever want to leave you?" It hurt. Kakashi had been so pleased to spend time with Naruto, and he had thought his prince had felt the same.

"Nothing! Nothing, Kashi, I swear, I didn't mean it like that, sorry, I-"

Kakashi cut him off with another kiss. Naruto was rather desperate in his responses, trying to apologize.

Kakashi broke away and trailed his lips up Naruto's face.

"Sorry, Kashi, I didn't-"

"It's okay, Naruto. Hush. It's okay."

The way the boy's fingers were twisting into the cloth on Kakashi's thighs indicated that something was very much not okay, but Kakashi felt that a few more moments would help calm his prince down. What had happened to the confident Naruto who had given orders so easily and well away from Konoha?

"Better?"

Naruto wriggled and said nothing.

"I'm yours, my little prince. I'm not going anywhere."

"I know, Kashi," Naruto assured him, still sounding too frantic.

"I'm not mad, Naruto. But you don't seem to 'know'."

"No, I do! I do, I-"

Kakashi had to cut him off again. This time Naruto let himself be relaxed.

"You know I won't leave, but you don't quite believe it, hm?"

Naruto admitted, quietly, "Y- Yeah."

Kakashi wondered whether the boy could see the parallels with how Kakashi had felt about Sai.

He cupped Naruto's face, stroking his thumb over the boy's cheek.

It was cute, how Naruto's eyes would flick up to look at Kakashi, then skitter away shyly.

Cute, but his prince had no need to be shy. Not in front of Kakashi. But Naruto had had weeks to reinforce his assurances. Kakashi didn't know how soon their next mission would be, and obviously being responsive on missions wasn't enough to assuage Naruto's doubts anyway.

"Naruto."

"Y-Yeah?"

"I'm yours."

"Yeah."

"You're mine, too."

"Yes."

"Good." Kakashi slowly lowered himself to rest most of his weight on the boy. He kissed the crook of Naruto's neck. "I'll do anything you want, Naruto." He kissed the same place. "What do you want?" Let his teeth graze the skin.

Yes, he was leading Naruto.

But he was sure this would help.

"K-Kakashi."

"Anything you want, my prince," he answered, speaking against the boy's neck.

"Mark me?"

Just what Kakashi himself had asked for. Perfect.

"Is that what you want?"

"Yes."

"The Fox will heal it away."

"Please."

"A mark? We talked about those. You're sure?"

"Yes, Kashi, I want it, please. Please. Ah!"

It felt good to sink his teeth into his prince's neck. Kakashi would have been satisfied with just the bite. Just something for Naruto to remember. But his prince wanted a mark.

Kakashi swirled some chakra into his teeth. It seemed the thing to do, though he'd never experimented.

He didn't mean to bite deeper, but Naruto bucked, and they touched in just the right way-

Kakashi's name spilled from Naruto's mouth, moaned long and low.

His teeth were still piercing skin. The taste of iron coated his mouth. Kakashi ran his hand down to Naruto's hip and massaged his thumb into the crease between hip and thigh.

Naruto's head twisted, stretching his neck and tearing the skin.

The growl and sharp jerk back was entirely instinctive.

The sweet yelp Naruto responded with made Kakashi grind down.

Naruto squeaked and his legs drew up to bracket Kakashi's.

Kakashi was going to have to let go sometime.

He really didn't want to.

Kakashi licked the wound as he withdrew, pressing his tongue against the cuts to aggravate them further.

The amount of blood worried him slightly.

That his prince seemed both unconcerned and incredibly turned on reassured him.

The bite healed as Kakashi watched, but before it could close completely Naruto grabbed Kakashi's head and brought him closer.

Kakashi took the invitation and bit the boy again.

"Kakashi. Yes."

The wounds closed, but twin silver crescents remained, stark against Naruto's tanned skin.

Big bravely interrupted, and Kakashi watched Naruto's new scars fade to tracey lines as they ate.

Naruto touched the mark every time one of his hands was unoccupied.

Kakashi drew him back to the bed and spent a good hour nipping at Naruto's chest and arms, lighting up the boy's body with reminders of what Kakashi had put on his neck. Even if none of the new marks stayed for more than a minute.

Then Kakashi rolled them so that Naruto was once again straddling his chest.

"What do you want to do today, my prince?"

Naruto touched his mark. "Run through the Forest with you and our Packs. And then visit the Tower while you take your midday nap - old man. And then both of us back here for dinner."

"So kind of you to factor in my poor, abused body."

"Whose body had been abused all morning, again?"

Kakashi waved his point away. "How about a change of venue? Training Field 18?"

Naruto's eyebrows rose. "You think the Packs will enjoy that?"

"Pakkun's been getting nostalgic."

"Even your dog's an old man."

* * *

Their Packs had been dismissed in favor of a one-on-one spar.

Their team would have been terrified of the ferocity with which the pair went at each other.

Their training field had been blown up, ground to dust, and flattened.

Kakashi had accepted a handicap of no replacement techniques, while Naruto was limited to ten shadow clones at a time.

Neither of them remained strictly within the rules, but hey, they were ninja.

Kakashi eventually took Naruto out with a few well-timed earthen walls, and slammed the boy to the ground, kunai to his throat.

"That last throw was sloppy."

"Yeah, but my in-air recovery was great."

Neither moved. Their adrenaline was still pumping.

They'd never kissed in public before. Even the semi-public of an out-of-the-way training ground.

Kakashi pulled his kunai away. He wouldn't initiate anything, no matter how thoughts of doing so were spinning through his head. He wanted to. But did his prince want to? If someone caught them, the rumors would be everywhere. Everyone would know he belonged to Naruto. Well. Most non-ANBU would likely mistake it for the other way around.

The pair slowly fell from their adrenaline high, eyes still locked.

Naruto unzipped his jacket, just enough to show the mark.

It was incredibly hot.

Kakashi wondered just what the boy was thinking.

"Shirt off, Kashi. Mask, too."

Suddenly his heart was pounding again. A kiss was one thing. Baring his face where someone might see? His prince wouldn't ask him to that, certainly?

Naruto's steady look said he would and he was.

Kakashi rose to his knees. He hesitated a moment more before quickly stripping off his shirt and attached mask.

He shivered despite the sun.

Naruto pulled Kakashi back down, one thumb positioned under his jaw to keep Kakashi's head tilted up.

Kakashi braced himself on his forearms as Naruto began to suck at his neck.

A few times the boy stopped and tested his teeth against Kakashi's skin. Looking for the right angle, maybe.

His prince's incisors were fox-sharp, but never pierced.

Naruto drew away and laid back against the ground. "Kakashi?"

Kakashi had to take a breath and center himself before responding. "Naruto."

"Do you still want me to bite?" Naruto sounded idly curious. Confident. A bit teasing.

Kakashi shuddered and bucked against the boy beneath him. "Yes. Kami, yes."

Naruto hummed and kissed Kakashi's neck, drawing a moan and another jerk.

Did his prince want him to beg? Kakashi found himself reluctant. In the heat of the moment, or for something small. But for a mark that proved his prince wanted him?

Naruto laid those doubts to rest, pulling Kakashi down to kiss his lips. "I had a thought. Would you rather have it on your wrist? I know you don't like looking beneath your mask."

Oh. Oh. Of course his prince was only thinking of Kakashi. The boy had even phrased it so that it was about _Kakashi_ seeing the mark, not showing it off. Though Kakashi would be pleased to have it somewhere he could show off. Then again, Naruto wasn't showing off his. Maybe these were just for them? Kakashi didn't want to choose for the wrong reason.

He enjoyed kissing Naruto while he thought it over.

"Wrist," he eventually answered. To be shared or not, Kakashi wanted to be able to see the mark easily himself. And touch it. Seeing his prince idly touch his own mark had become excessively distracting during team training.

"Guess you didn't need the shirt off after all, hm?" Naruto remarked. Then held Kakashi in place before he could reach over to pull his mask back on.

Kakashi shivered again. "Naru?"

"You don't need it right now. I won't let anyone see you."

Kakashi reluctantly nodded. He didn't how Naruto could possibly ensure such a thing without Kakashi having noticed, but he didn't doubt that steady voice.

Naruto released his hold on Kakashi's neck and wedged his hand under Kakashi's left, forcing the glove off and twining their fingers together.

He brought the back of Kakashi's hand up to his face and kissed it, holding Kakashi's gaze as he did.

Then Naruto changed his grip, turning Kakashi's hand to offer the inside of his wrist.

Baring his face risked only his privacy.

Baring his neck risked only his life.

Baring all the delicate tendons in his wrist risked everything that made Kakashi useful. That kept him truly _alive_.

His prince bit down.

Kakashi's breath hitched at the pain, at the feel of those long incisors slipping beneath his skin.

He felt hot chakra run through Naruto's teeth, just on the edge of searing his skin or attacking Kakashi's own chakra.

Then he was released, and Naruto licked his handiwork sweetly. "Don't pick at it too much. Your skin doesn't scar as nice as mine."

Kakashi just stared at the bloody marks in wonder. His ANBU tattoo had bound him to the village, but this.

His prince seemed quite happy to be kissed senseless.

* * *


	4. Steadfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I use the word 'screwing' in place of a less PG-13 term. Mentally replace it if you wish. One day I will learn to be comfortable writing swears, but today is not that day.

Their team was on the way back from rescuing a group of kidnapped kids when Sakura noticed and commented.

"Did something happen to your hand, sensei?"

Kakashi blinked at her in innocent confusion. "Hm?"

"Your wrist is bandaged."

"So are my legs," Kakashi pointed out.

"But you've _always_ had those." Sakura huffed. "I'm the team medic, just let me see."

Kakashi ignored her and continued reading his book.

The bite had scarred over prettily, but it was still just fresh enough that a medical jutsu might manage to make it fade.

He definitely wouldn't allow that. Kakashi had stretched and exercised his hand carefully to make sure it could heal without causing the slightest impairment while remaining wide and striking.

It felt a bit kinky to be so proud of a mark of ownership, but hey, ANBU uniforms were made to show off their tattoos. Besides, it was mostly a mark of loyalty. Those things just happened to be very similar in Kakashi's mind. Blame indoctrination as a 'ninja tool' from a very young age.

* * *

Kakashi watched Naruto while the team trained. They hadn't had any complicated missions in a few weeks, and he could tell his prince was getting restless.

Running with the Packs had worked for a few days.

Following up those runs by following Naruto to bed had worked for a few more.

Kakashi suspected that this restlessness wasn't so much from lack of expending physical energy, but mental. With the Third dead, very few outside the ANBU knew just how much Naruto had directed his hyperactivity into paperwork and general administration.

Kakashi had eavesdropped more than once on the Hokage's secretaries cursing Tsunade for sending Naruto away.

He wondered if the woman even knew how much responsibility Naruto had once shouldered.

Were his Hokage-rank powers still in effect?

Yamato didn't defer to Naruto, exactly, but nor did he often give a direct order to the boy. He probably didn't know, either.

Sai was purposely kept out of the loop, due to his ROOT affiliations. Naruto had only just begun to turn his loyalty.

Sakura remained oblivious as ever.

Sasuke, now inducted into ANBU, might have found out what role his former teammate had held. But he was never around to share, if so.

Kakashi would hunt down Lynx and Rabbit, see if they were still alive and perhaps interested in brainstorming how to reinstate their Prince.

* * *

"He's fond of Tsunade, but he doesn't trust her," Lynx stated. As she often drew Hokage-guarding duty, it wasn't surprising that she had caught it as well.

But Kakashi had to clarify. "He doesn't trust her with his heart, but he does trust her to lead Konoha. And even if he didn't, he doesn't mind if people know what status he had."

"And you're sure of this, how? You've been his captain for a couple of months and his sensei for all of what, half a year? And it's not like you ever liked him."

While Kakashi enjoyed being mysterious, here were two people who could fully appreciate his pride. He twisted his wrist, letting the glove ride up. Neither ANBU missed the gesture, but they didn't catch the significance of the half-obscured scar until he said, "I've known him longer than that."

Lynx whistled her appreciation, but Rabbit scoffed again. "Screwing doesn't give you some miraculous insight."

Lynx kindly whacked him before Kakashi had to. "The kid's acknowledged he has claim on Kakashi, you idiot. Congratulations, senpai."

Rabbit let his body communicate what his masked face could not - apology and envy. "What she said."

"So this means he's still going for the seat? Some of the others had their doubts. Cat said he was, but…"

"He is," Kakashi confirmed, readjusting his glove. "We can use that as an argument for getting him back in the Tower."

"With Tsunade, sure. But the Council's not going to like it. How'd the Third blackmail them into going along with Prince's rank, anyway?"

Kakashi looked at Lynx, who tilted her head to the degree that indicated sorting through memories. "He didn't tell them, I think. It's not like Prince's name ended up on any of the paperwork, and we weren't going to say anything, so."

"No way did the desk chuunin keep quiet."

"You underestimate how grateful they are to get papers off their desk," Kakashi said. "Iruka was the only teacher at that damn academy who actually taught him."

Rabbit and Lynx both froze, oozing Killing Intent.

Kakashi smirked and added innocently, "Didn't anyone mention? The teachers either neglected to do their jobs or outright misinformed him. He came to me without a scrap of usable taijutsu after graduation."

Sure it had been three years now, but revenge was still sweet.

"We'll deal with them later," Lynx promised. "But, okay, Prince's rank was basically a conspiracy, hidden from the Council. Is there any reason we can't just add the Fifth to those being kept in the dark?"

"Prince would never allow it," Rabbit refuted. "Besides, he could barely even do a desk chuunin's job without the Fifth's knowledge."

"So we need to get the Fifth on board." Lynx snorted. "Bribe her with saki?"

They all shared a chuckle.

"Shizune is the easiest way to get to Tsunade, and she has just as big a soft spot for Naruto."

"We could start dropping hints to her," Lynx agreed.

"I'll spread the word," Rabbit said, and the three split.

* * *

Kakashi was slowly bringing Naruto to pieces with his tongue when a quick pattern of knocks announced Lynx's arrival at his window.

Naruto groaned and flapped his hand uselessly at the floor where Kakashi had dropped his mask.

Lynx wasted no time entering the apartment once Kakashi undid the window traps, and the ANBU took in the boy on the bed, just beginning to come to his senses.

"From the noises the pair of you were making I thought you'd at least gotten in his pants," Lynx teased Kakashi in her dry way.

Naruto huffed. "I would say I'd like to see how you'd do up against that, but he's mine."

Kakashi settled behind Naruto on the bed, kissing the boy's shoulder before drawing him into Kakashi's lap. Their fingers knitted together over Naruto's still-bare stomach

"What brings you here in the middle of the night, Lynx?"

"Shizune told Cobra that Tsunade was nearly sick enough of the paperwork she'd be willing to let Prince help her. Cobra said she was joking, but-" Lynx readjusted her posture to show, 'we both know how people are.' Such jokes were made because they had the ring of truth.

"So you _were_ conspiring to get me back there," Naruto mused. "I have some ideas, if this course doesn't pan out."

"I wasn't sure if you'd think it too devious," Kakashi admitted.

Naruto chuckled. "I'd best get back soon, then, if you've already forgotten what a terror I was."

Lynx's body showed her delight and anticipation. "We look forward to working with you again, Prince."

"The same to you. I'd appreciate it if you could send some visitors over the next few days to inform me of our losses and who's taken over the masks."

"Of course," Lynx replied, despite how very illegal such a thing was. Apparently she, at least, had decided to assume he'd kept his rank.

Lynx didn't leave immediately, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her.

"I just wanted to say, Naruto. A lot of us are… envious of Kakashi-senpai."

Naruto hummed. "In a few years the marks on your shoulders will belong to me, as well."

Lynx nodded and relaxed minutely.

Kakashi wanted to curse the indoctrination that made all ANBU have the same blurred lines of loyalty and ownership.

"It's this that you really ought to envy," Naruto added, tilting his head and caressing Kakashi's mark on his neck.

Lynx's whole body revealed her shock.

Kakashi mouthed the scar to keep from growling his satisfaction.

"Tell Bat to begin wearing down Tsunade's resistance against help with paperwork, out of mask. Bear could help as well, if he's there anyway."

"Bear retired last year."

"Ah, well. Is he out of the loop? I'll visit and catch him up, then. Thank you for your report," he ended formally.

Lynx nodded and disappeared.

Kakashi summoned a shadow clone to reset the traps, already manhandling Naruto back down onto the bed.

He wanted to show his prince just how much he appreciated the bold claim.

Besides, there was a lot a clever jounin could do with a clone.

* * *

Chouza Akimichi - Bear, two Bears ago, now - was looking at Kakashi with deep disappointment.

"None of the others seem to have a problem," Kakashi said sullenly, reading his book.

Naruto was in the kitchen with the Akimichi and Nara heirs, arguing over what to make for lunch.

"They've all been in so long they don't know what it's like to be out. You're, what, six years passed that?"

Kakashi shrugged, refusing to shrink. He wasn't ashamed. Anymore. It was just that the man was so very sure of his judgement.

"Kakashi."

"Chouza."

"He's the same age as my son."

"He's been considered an adult since the Sandaime let him read his first combat mission report."

Chouza sighed. "If this was just about loyalty, even their kind of loyalty, I'd call you all foolish and let it slide. But you're doing a great deal more than _obeying_ , Kakashi."

"Are we really going to talk about this?"

"Someone has to. Kami knows none of them will."

Kakashi turned a page, striving to look as bored as possible.

The man leaned forward. "He's fifteen, and you're about to hit thirty, Kakashi. You shouldn't be having sex with him."

Kakashi sighed. Deeply. Dramatically.

"We're shinobi. Any of us could die at any time. Age is irrelevant."

"Maybe. But you're bound and determined to keep him alive as long as possible and he-"

"Knows exactly how shinobi dying for the village or the Hokage works. If I die he'll understand and if I don't then he'll hardly be fifteen forever. Are we done?"

Naruto bounced into the room and slung his arms around Kakashi's neck from behind. "We've decided to go for ramen."

"Ichiraku's?"

"Chouji's going to take us to a new place and when that inevitably does not live up to standards, then we'll be headed to Ichiraku's."

Kakashi chuckled and nuzzled Naruto, just to spite the Akimichi.

Naruto withdrew and set a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. He looked at Chouza, calm and regal. "I appreciate your concerns, Akimichi-san. However, your argument was poorly constructed. That one 'just shouldn't' is not valid reasoning. If you had claimed that our relationship could be emotionally or mentally damaging to either party, it would have been due further consideration."

Chouza appeared to have smelled something rotten.

"Also, please keep in mind that jinchuuriki are gifted with heightened senses. I'll see you soon."

Naruto left to join his friends while Kakashi remained in place, smug. "Magnificent, isn't he?"

"He's certainly something. In his words, though, your relationship with him could be emotionally damaging. To you both. You've invested everything in this kid, Kakashi. But he's young and full of hormones - what are you going to do if he finds someone else? And on his end, he might know that you could die, but the only person he's lost is the Sandaime, and he was approaching that age anyway."

Kakashi lowered his book enough to look Chouza in the eye. "If he finds someone else, then I'll still be his right hand. But he won't. He's mine, as much as I'm his, Chouza. But if I do die, he'll have the love of every ninja in the village. As friends or more, if he wants it."

"You're very sure of something that's hardly four months old."

Kakashi raised his book again and didn't answer.

"Kakashi," Chouza growled. "Tell me this relationship is only four months old."

"I'm not into children."

"You've already said you've considered him an adult since he was six."

Kakashi set down his book and glared at the man, releasing more Killing Intent than he probably should have in the presence of a clan head.

"When did you start screwing him, Kakashi?"

Kakashi debated between snarling and flickering away. Both seemed like attractive options at the moment. Instead he said, "Not that it's any of your business, but never."

Chouza slumped back in his seat. "Don't lie to me. Lynx-"

"Made a joke about me not getting in his pants. I don't want to. I'm his, he's mine, no screwing required."

"You're serious," the man said, with no small amount of confusion.

Kakashi went back to reading his book. "We might try it at some point, but neither of us are particularly interested."

"You're a healthy thirty-year-old man in a relationship and you just. Don't have sex."

"There's a lot of sex two people can have without screwing. We just don't involve genitalia."

Chouza shook his head in a mix of horror and disbelief.

Kakashi stood. "Glad you understand. Let's never have this conversation again."

* * *

Now that the ANBU was abuzz with Naruto's impending reinstatement - which was inevitable, with their backing - Yamato approached Kakashi.

"How do you handle this? I'm not comfortable ordering Prince around."

"So you do still call him that," Kakashi said, amused. "You can just keep doing what you have been, staying on the fence about it, if that works for you. I don't bother. Field command is field command, and we're his superior officers."

Yamato nodded and they broke apart as Sakura arrived. Naruto was shortly behind, Sai following at his heels.

Sakura didn't notice Yamato's firmer approach with Naruto, but Sai did.

He said nothing, but observed more carefully for the rest of the training session.

* * *

"You and Naruto are a couple," Sai announced, mostly directed at Kakashi, after their three-day mission.

Everyone was too exhausted to give a proper reaction.

"Sensei and Naruto? I think you're seeing things, Sai," Sakura said.

Naruto flicked a glance at Kakashi. Kakashi smiled and let Naruto know it was his choice, as always.

"Ignore her, Sai. You're right. What else have you noticed?"

"Hey, what!" Sakura yelped, suddenly alert again.

Sai ignored her. "Both the Captain and Sub-Captain defer to you when they are not giving orders. The Sub-captain is less consistent in doing so. Perhaps he has not been aware of your status as long? What is your status?"

"Yeah, Naruto," Sakura snarled. "What is your status?"

This could set back their plans. Sakura was close to Tsunade.

Kakashi let Naruto handle it.

"It's not that he hasn't been aware, just that it's sort of old. I used to help out the Third with paperwork and stuff, so I had a crazy high clearance level. Since I might be helping out Baa-chan with the same things soon, that's kicking in again."

"But the Captain has no such difficulty."

"That's true."

"You're not going to explain."

"Sorry, Sai."

"Who said you were going to be helping Tsunade?" Sakura demanded.

"Everyone with ears knows she hates paperwork. And since I used to help, it makes sense, you know?"

" _I_ could help. And Shizune already does."

"You're not going to be Hokage," Naruto pointed out. "And Shizune is awesome, but she's mostly handling the hospital side of things."

"So you think you should get to help out because you _might_ be Hokage someday?"

Naruto blinked at her. "I am going to be Hokage, Sakura," he said slowly, as if he wasn't entirely sure why she didn't know this fact.

Kakashi smirked. His prince had picked up some of Kakashi's sense of humor.

"Whatever. You and sensei?" She looked at Kakashi pleadingly.

Kakashi eye-smiled at her.

Sakura's eyes went wide. "No. No way! Sensei! What are you doing with this idiot!"

Kakashi, still smiling, held a kunai to her throat. "I let you get away with it when you didn't know anything, Sakura-chan, but you shouldn't insult him like that. Not only is Naruto a brilliant man, he's your future Hokage. You should show some respect."

Yamato tensed, eyeing Kakashi as only a man who knew he was hopelessly outclassed could.

Naruto waved a hand and Kakashi sheathed his kunai, embarrassed. He shouldn't have reacted so strongly.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan," Kakashi said, faking dishonesty to cover his sincerity. "You haven't meant that since Wave."

"R-right," Sakura agreed, rubbing her throat.

She had learned not to insult people thoughtlessly years ago, but Kakashi still had to put up with the civilians' treatment of Naruto on a daily basis.

Sai looked as if he was mentally taking notes on the interaction.

"But, really, you and Naruto? How'd that happen?"

Kakashi was pleased to hear only curiosity in her voice. He had expected most non-ANBU to react as Chouza had.

"Well Naru-chan's just so cute-"

"Shut up, Kashi," Naruto muttered, elbowing him in the gut.

"Aw, Naru!"

"You realize he's going to be like this constantly now?" Naruto told Sakura.

She smirked. "Well, maybe you deserve each other."

Naruto laughed while Kakashi continued to playfully attempt to drown him in hugs.

* * *

Kakashi had just begun to explore how Naruto responded to the slight buzz of lightning chakra against skin when Seal opened the window.

Unfortunately, Naruto's traps were geared more toward aggressive civilians than nosey ANBU.

"You're not meant to report for another forty minutes," Naruto snapped.

Seal's body said, 'I'm only innocently curious.'

"He wanted to catch us screwing," Kakashi grumbled, continuing to kiss his prince's spine despite the audience.

"I'll confirm it for you. We don't do that. It's old news. Now shoo, we're busy."

Seal left.

Kakashi rocked against Naruto, trapping the boy's legs between his own. "We could, you know. If you want to."

Naruto groaned. "I don't. You don't. I wish it'd never come up. Please get back to what you were doing."

Kakashi chuckled and obeyed.

* * *

Their next mission was only two days after the last.

Sakura seemed to have adjusted her mindset, and was now staring at Kakashi and Naruto as if waiting for a show.

Sai, naturally, questioned this.

"She's hoping for some yaoi," Naruto explained.

Upon receiving a full explanation of just what that was, Sai also began to watch them with interest.

"We're on a mission," Yamato said, resigned. Then he turned thoughtful. "You haven't done it on a mission before, have you?"

Naruto smirked.

Kakashi feigned innocence.

Yamato pretended to gag.

* * *

Sakura, almost as subtle as she thought she was, arranged to speak with Kakashi alone.

"I feel blind," she said. "I'd never noticed before, how you look at him. Like he's got all the answers to the universe in his head, and he decided to share them with you."

Kakashi didn't comment.

"You really love him, huh?"

Kakashi continued to pretend he was oblivious to her presence.

Sakura just nodded as if he'd confirmed it. "I'm glad for you both, then. I'd like to take the big sister role and tell you not to break his heart, but I can see that you won't. So just. Don't get your heart broken, okay? Naruto won't always remember to be careful with it."

Much as he wanted to leap to his prince's defense, Kakashi nodded, unable to deny her words. Naruto was too busy looking ahead to notice the present, sometimes. But Kakashi had learned how to bring his attention back.

Sakura touched his shoulder, and left.

* * *

Naruto had gift for working with his hands.

Kakashi would tell him so, if his brain was still communicating correctly with his mouth.

It was not.

Naruto's fingernails dragged down the back of Kakashi's thigh, making him shudder.

Every part of his body was hypersensitive.

"Ah. There. Oh, right there. Mm."

His body jerked.

"Oh! Yes, Naru."

Kakashi was spread out on Naruto's bed, not moving except in response to his prince's ministrations.

He decided to make another bid at his compliment. "Y-you. Ah. You're."

His breath caught as Naruto's tongue flicked out and caught just the right spot.

Kakashi gave up on speaking again, and moaned.

* * *

It was Raven who reported in next.

Kakashi instantly recognized the young man's hair, and he was sure Naruto did as well.

"The Fifth will call you in tomorrow. Sakura's spoken to her."

Naruto nodded. "How far has this spread?"

"Bat heard it first and told Cheetah. Most know by this point."

"Thank you."

Raven bobbed, but Kakashi held up a hand.

"Have you gotten stronger as you'd hoped?"

Raven hesitated before taking off his mask.

"Not yet," Sasuke admitted. "But I've seen too much to be disappointed. I've come far."

"We should spar sometime."

"Yeah, and with me, after!"

"You could have told me you were some sort of Hokage-apprentice, dork."

Naruto flushed. "I told you I was going to be Hokage! It's not my fault you didn't take me seriously!"

Kakashi wrapped an arm around Naruto's neck and dropped his read to rest it in blonde spikes.

Naruto took a deep breath. "Most of the newbies will come around from working with me, but you I'd like to ask personally, Sasuke. Will you follow me?"

Sasuke locked eyes with Naruto, uncannily still.

Naruto grinned, and Sasuke disappeared.

Kakashi was still somewhat mystified by the bond the two of them had.

"I take it that was a yes?"

"Yeah. But he's closer to how you are than how Lynx and Rabbit are."

Kakashi's grip tightened. He should have been over being jealous by now.

"He's not just a tool, you know? Not that the others are, but that's how they see themselves. But Sasuke has a claim on me too, and he knows it."

"But not a claim like mine," Kakashi said, rumbling in Naruto's ear and clutching at him, probably painfully.

Naruto arched as if Kakashi had stroked him. "No one gets a claim like yours, Kashi." He tilted his head to offer Kakashi his neck.

Kakashi happily pulled down his mask and bit over the scars, sucking Naruto's skin.

"Ah. You're the only one who gets me like this, Kashi. Nobody else. I'm yours."

Naturally, Kakashi tipped them into the bed.

He caged Naruto with his body. "And you, my prince, don't have anybody else like you have me."

"Nobody like you, Kashi. I command them, but I own you. They're mine but only you _belong_ to me."

His prince was quite willing to flip Kakashi onto his back and exercise his claim.

* * *

Naruto rested against a tree meditating, Kakashi using his lap as a pillow. Their fingers were tangled together.

His prince didn't really have the time for this, what with his responsibilities in the Tower.

Kakashi couldn't really bring himself to care.

* * *

It was obvious, in training, just how much more settled Naruto was now that he was back to frantically failing to keep up with the never-ending paper mill that was Konoha.

And a settled Naruto was, apparently, a deadly Naruto.

The first time they clashed, his prince crushed Kakashi.

It was a good thing the team knew they were together, because Kakashi had to pull Naruto into a hard, eager kiss the moment the spar ended.

"You find being defeated an aphrodisiac?" Sai speculated.

"Only when it's Naruto," Kakashi pulled back just long enough to answer.

Kami, his prince was incredible.

"I'd suggest you get a room, but I'm mildly concerned you'd traumatize civilians on the way," a monotone voice droned.

"Sasuke! What are you doing here?" Sakura squealed.

"I was promised a spar with Kakashi, but he appears busy."

Naruto mumbled something into their kiss and flapped a hand, but didn't withdraw.

Kakashi figured the team must have found something to do while he continued unashamedly making out with his prince, because they weren't interrupted until sometime later when he was whapped on the back of his head.

Asuma was scowling at him while Kurenai was farther away, giggling.

"Hi, Asuma-san!" Naruto greeted brightly, apparently uncaring that he was still wrapped in Kakashi's arms and looking ravished.

That was very satisfying.

"Naruto. The pervert?"

Naruto blinked. "I edited Jiraiya's latest two books, you know."

Asuma sighed.

"Have you already gotten the age talk?" Kurenai asked.

"From Akimichi-san," Naruto confirmed.

"Great. Congratulations to you both, then. I want all the details."

It was Kakashi's turn to sigh as Naruto bounced up to Kurenai and they began whispering like schoolgirls as they walked.

"You trust the brat not to say anything embarrassing?"

"He's as private as I am. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Gai is presiding over a Konoha Twelve get-together. Your other students were not brave enough to interrupt."

"Smart children."

"You realize they're the same age as your brat."

"In years." Kakashi looked at Asuma pointedly. His friend got the message, and they moved on to chatting about recent missions. As much as Kakashi could be said to 'chat'.

By the time they arrived at Gai's chosen barbeque place, Naruto had wrapped Kakashi's arm around his shoulders.

Even Asuma had softened at what Kakashi knew had to be pure delight expressed in his eye.

Naruto was going to acknowledge his claim to the regular forces as well.

And Kakashi was going to get to watch their faces as he did!

"Naruto," Lee cried, "you made it! With… Kakashi… san?"

Conversations rapidly dwindled as the Konoha Twelve stared at the pair.

"My eternal rival! How youthful, to have found love!" Gai began to expound.

Kakashi grinned. He wouldn't be surprised if Gai understood more than anyone else, even if the man had nowhere near the same needs.

"You and... Kakashi-san," the Yamanaka said slowly.

"Troublesome."

The Hyuuga girl looked heartbroken while her Inuzaka teammate frowned at them.

He'd no doubt already known. The Nara heir must have at least guessed.

Tenten looked vaguely ill.

Neji Hyuuga, the only jounin of the bunch, flicked his gaze from Naruto to Kakashi and seemingly decided he approved. Kakashi pretended not to notice the spark of jealousy and resignation in the young man's eyes.

Shino and Chouji went back to their discussion.

Well, it could have been better.

And then Naruto pulled Kakashi down for a quick kiss and the gasps and coughs and grumbles were indeed much better.

"Wait, they just kissed… but did anybody see Kakashi-san's face?"

"What the heck!" Sakura wailed.

Kakashi smirked and followed Naruto to their seat near the other jounin.

It felt oddly natural, to talk with his peers while Naruto chattered with his. Occasionally Naruto would nudge Kakashi to eat, or Kakashi would drop a masked kiss on Naruto's head. Naruto's fingers remained tangled with Kakashi's on his shoulder.

After the initial shock, only Tenten continued paying their affection any mind. Probably her civilian tendencies. Lee had been conditioned by Gai, and Sakura, well.

It would have been nice to show off their scars as well, but outside the ANBU it was an exceptionally rare tradition. Even within the ANBU, tattoos were more popular for those who were willing to risk marks. And it was a risk. One had to trust that one's partner could defend themself if their identity were to be revealed, after all.

Naruto remained while the rest of his age group slowly trickled away, leaving only him, Sasuke, and the older jounin.

Kakashi could feel his prince's posture resettle. So, they were introducing the others to the future Hokage, then?

"Sasuke."

"Yes."

Kakashi had no idea what Naruto had ordered, but the Uchiha flickered away.

"Not going to leave the adults to talk, Naruto-kun?" Asuma asked, only half teasing.

"You grew up?" Naruto replied, looking perfectly surprised.

Kakashi smirked, but Asuma scowled. Gai, unsurprisingly, began a tirade of Youth.

Kakashi was inordinately pleased by the fond smile Naruto gave the man. Gai deserved to be put to better use than Tsunade was currently allowing.

"Do you think you'll take other genin teams?" Naruto asked.

Kurenai blushed.

"When you're less busy, of course," Naruto qualified. Kakashi wonder whether he had also smelled her pregnancy, or if he'd found out by some other means.

Kakashi still wasn't sure of all that Naruto had learned in his two years away.

"I'd like to," Kurenai admitted. "They're cute at that age."

"I wouldn't survive another round of D-ranks," Asuma complained.

Gai declared that it would be a crime not to pass his Youthfulness on to another team in the future.

"What about you, Kakashi?" Kurenai asked.

"Naru-chan wouldn't inflict that on me."

"I will if you don't quit calling me Naru-chan."

"Why would Naruto get a say?" Asuma demanded.

"I'm helping with Baa-chan's paperwork," Naruto explained smugly. "I just have to add in an extra file at the right time, and…"

"Maa, Naru-chan, don't abuse your position."

"Only because you'd let me, Kashi." He pecked Kakashi on the cheek.

"You two are sickeningly adorable."

"Why thank you, Kurenai-san. He does it just to annoy Asuma-san and Yamato."

Asuma's eyebrow twitched.

"Lies!"

"Naruto," Sasuke interrupted.

Something passed between them, and Naruto smiled. "Thanks, Sasuke. He's coming by later?"

"Yes."

"I'll handle it, then."

Asuma looked hilariously confused by Naruto's commanding air. One would never know he'd just been told that Naruto was doing the Hokage's paperwork, by his disbelief.

Sasuke tilted his head. Naruto smiled. Sasuke flickered away.

"You two are creepy," Kakashi remarked.

"Pot, kettle," Asuma said.

"Maa, maa, so mean. Naru-chan, help me!"

* * *

Tsunade summoned Kakashi to her office.

Seeing as Naruto would have warned him of any missions, Kakashi sensed impending doom.

Kakashi arrived late, slouching, and reading Icha Icha.

Jiraiya was there.

The man didn't respond when Kakashi tipped the book respectfully toward its author.

Yes, there was impending doom.

"I heard a rumor," Tsunade began.

Oh. That doom was right on schedule.

"Apparently," Jiraiya cut in. "You're dating my godson."

"Dating is such a funny word."

Tsunade's face darkened. "Is it?"

"It does tend to imply dates."

"And do you have a better word?" Jiraiya said generously.

Kakashi thought about it. He hadn't really bothered. Committed partnership? But they were not partners. Not that they were not equals, but. Kakashi served Naruto. Everything else was, in the end, extraneous. So.

"Committed?"

They waited a beat. Tsunade growled.

"Committed to what?"

Kakashi blinked at her. "Naruto."

Jiraiya waved down his teammate before she could snap.

"Are you being safe?"

"We're ninja."

"When you're having sex, Kakashi."

"Oh," Kakashi pretended to realize. "Why is everyone so interested in our sex life?"

"Because he's fifteen!" Tsunade yelled.

"He's an adult."

Kakashi loathed the fact that all he would have to do is declare that they weren't screwing, and she were cease to be so furious. Screwing and sex were two very different things, and he very much liked sex with Naruto. He didn't care to give the false impression that he wasn't having it.

"Kakashi," Jiraiya said reasonably. "We all care about Naruto. Tsunade and I are just trying to make sure he's safe."

"He's probably the safest man in Konoha," Kakashi said honestly. Not only would Kakashi fight to the death for him, so would all of Konoha's most elite ninja. And Naruto himself was a powerhouse. Assuming he didn't unduly risk his life on a mission, Naruto was going to live a long life.

That seemed to calm Tsunade. "And what are your intentions, exactly, in regards to Naruto?"

Kakashi would serve Naruto. Serve his prince's dreams of becoming Hokage and bringing peace. And, in the course of that service, preferably get to stay with Naruto. Be his confidant, his mentor, his bodyguard, his right hand.

"I'd like to stay by his side."

"And you have to be dating him to do that?"

"We've never been on a date." Kakashi was getting tired of this. Naruto had surely sensed his chakra in the building, right? He modulated it, letting any watching know that he was uncomfortable but not in dire need of assistance.

"In a romantic relationship, whatever. You can stay by his side without screwing him."

Jiraiya scowled at her terminology, but didn't contradict his teammate.

Someone knocked at the door.

Thank Kami for perceptive princes.

"Hello, Baa-chan, ero-sennin."

"Naruto," Tsunade smiled. "We were just discussing you with Kakashi. It's so good to know the two of you aren't dating."

Naruto blinked. "I would have thought you'd prefer dates to a more ambiguous relationship, Baa-chan. I'm glad you're so open-minded."

Tsunade scowled while Jiraiya guffawed.

* * *

Kakashi had Naruto tied to the bed, straining and bucking.

So gorgeous.

He ran a hand down the near-naked man's side. "I wonder what they'd say if they saw us like this?"

Naruto laughed breathlessly. "You're thinking about them when you've got me here?"

Kakashi hummed and licked the inside of Naruto's elbow. "You're right, this wouldn't change their tune. Maybe when you have me tied down."

"You should get started if you want to see these ropes again anytime this month," Naruto threatened. It was less effective due to the moan that preceded the statement.

"As you wish, my prince."

* * *

"Can I see?" Yamato asked.

"Hm?"

"You know, the-" Yamato gestured to his wrist.

Given that Sakura and Sai were just a few meters away while Naruto was off patrolling, Kakashi felt his confusion was justified.

But, well, he did enjoy showing it off.

Kakashi took off his glove with a flourish and presented his wrist to Yamato.

"And on his neck, he really…?"

Kakashi nodded happily.

"What's that?" Sakura interrupted.

Both she and Sai came over to look at the twin scars on Kakashi's wrist.

"Is that a bite mark? Wait, from that time you had it wrapped. I could have healed that, you know!"

"I didn't want you to," Kakashi informed her.

"Why would you wish to keep a wound?" Sai asked.

"It's an old tradition among some of the elite ninja," Yamato explained. "It's a claiming mark. Most just get tattoos, or brands. Bites are more personal."

"'Claiming' mark?"

"It shows that they belong to the one who gave them the mark. Their lives, their loyalty, their skills. Everything you are, permanently and above all else."

Kakashi traced his scars, smiling slightly.

"You're proud," Sakura said in realization. "Of being marked like that."

"Extremely."

"Is belonging to a person similar to being a tool of the village?" Sai asked.

"In many ways," Kakashi agreed. "But generally, particularly outside of Konoha, ninja who are 'tools' are expected to give up their individuality, unless it improves their skills. When one person claims another, they're accepting everything, including that person's personality."

"So Naruto has to put up with your Icha Icha," Sakura joked.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck. "It provides inspiration." He plopped his head down into Kakashi's hair.

Sakura flushed. "Sorry. I can't believe you bit sensei."

Kakashi felt Naruto's wide grin. "I have very sharp teeth."

* * *

 

Kakashi could barely breathe he was laughing so hard.

"Y- you! You're not ev- eep!"

"What was that, Naru?"

"The one being tickled!"

* * *

Raven landed heavily on the ground, panting. All training ceased.

"Danzo. Lynx is-"

He coughed and clutched at his side.

"Sakura," Naruto said, "heal him. Get him talking first."

"Y-yes. Sasuke?" She didn't ask any more after a sharp hand motion from the ANBU.

Sai was still for the moment, but Yamato had already moved to stand beside him, just in case.

"Raven, report."

"We don't know what happened. Hare signaled that she and Lynx were following a suspicious person. An hour later Frog responded to a call for assistance. Lynx was already dead, and Hare only managed to say, 'Danzo.' When Frog, Bat and I went to investigate, Danzo's guards attacked us. Bat held them off. I came to you. Frog went to Tsunade."

Naruto glanced at Kakashi, who bowed shallowly. Yamato did the same and said, "At your command, Prince."

"Sai, where is your loyalty?"

"With Konoha."

"We're all Konoha here," Naruto snapped.

Sakura gasped, "Naruto-"

"I'll obey my team leader."

"Then you'll follow Naruto's orders," Kakashi said firmly. "Where do you want us, Prince?"

"Danzo will be attempting to go to ground, and we have the best team to find him. Raven, where was he heading?"

"East. Outside the village, we thought."

"Sai?"

"There are three locations in that direction, only one outside the walls."

"Lead us there. Raven, leave a summon to keep in contact and go to the Hokage."

"I'll send the Fifth a summon."

"Acceptable. Sai, go."

And then they were off.

* * *

 

Team Kakashi, along with Raven, stood in the Hokage's office. Only Sakura looked contrite.

Naruto stood in the center, Kakashi at his right and Raven to the left.

"Care to explain what you thought you were doing, brat?"

"Acting on available information to neutralize a threat to Konoha," Naruto said mildly.

"You took my shinobi out from under me in a time of crisis!"

Sakura winced.

"I apologize, Hokage-sama. That was not my intent."

"Then what was your intent?"

"To neutraliza-"

"A threat to Konoha. Yeah, yeah. That doesn't explain why _my_ ANBU went to _you_ for orders!"

"That I am… not sure of, Baa-chan. I assume they wanted me informed so that I could react appropriately. But the ANBU are loyal to the Hokage first. They should have gone to you."

"She's not our Hokage," Raven grumbled, just loud enough to be clear.

"Excuse me?"

"With all due respect, Tsunade-sama. Naruto was the Third's successor, and everyone knew it."

"You weren't even a jounin when the Third was alive," Tsunade growled.

"That's true, but our senpais' conviction is enough for most of the younger ones." Raven tilted his head toward Naruto. "Working with the legendary Prince against ROOT will have solidified that, and brought the others around."

"'Legendary Prince'?" Tsunade questioned.

"Our nickname for him," Yamato admitted. "I don't know quite where it started, but we couldn't call him Hokage, and 'Naruto-sama' isn't subtle."

"So you agree with Raven's assessment?"

Yamato paled. "Somewhat? We know Naruto isn't Hokage yet, and usually everyone would defer to you. But we've worked under Prince's orders before, and we trust him to get us through a crisis. You. Well. You've sent chuunin to do ANBU work."

"It feels like there's another ROOT in the village," Tsunade said coldly.

"No," Sai stated. "Naruto is nothing like Danzo."

"He commands a group of elite ninja who are loyal to him first and the Hokage second."

Yamato looked at Kakashi pleadingly.

"They are loyal to Naruto because they trust him. That is a very rare thing for ANBU," Kakashi said. "They trust him to know best, to do the right thing for the village, and to protect them. The Third cultivated that trust intentionally, and worked with Naruto in leading the ANBU. You could do the same, Tsunade-sama."

The fifth surveyed them. "Sakura? Care to weigh in? Are you also going to reveal a hidden loyalty to this brat?"

Sakura glanced at Naruto, who smiled gently back. She straightened her spine. "He's my teammate, shishou. I don't think he's a traitor. But he isn't my Hokage yet."

"Yet."

Sakura winced.

"All of you, leave. I want to talk to Naruto. Alone."

Yamato, Sakura, and Sai shuffled out. Raven waited until they were gone and took off his mask.

"I don't think you two comprehend the meaning of alone."

"They won't talk, Baa-chan," Naruto assured her, stepping forward and taking a seat. "Allow them their over-protectiveness. If you exile me they'll be the ones coming with."

"The rest of your ANBU wouldn't defend you?"

"Maybe, if I made them choose," Naruto admitted. "But it'd break most of them. Lynx was the only one who really would have fought your orders, and she's gone now."

Tsunade sighed. "What would you do, as missing-nin?"

Naruto leaned back and considered it. "We'd go after the Akatsuki, I think. It'd be more dangerous without the village to back us up, but on the other hand, as free agents we would have better luck gaining Itachi's loyalty, and I think Kisame would come with him. That would give us the start of a power base strong enough to accumulate more allies. Akatsuki's response would determine the time scale we'd work on from there. A new Hidden Village might rise, who knows?"

"Optimistic."

"Of course. Hope for the best; prepare for the worst."

"What do you want me to do here, Naruto? We just saw first-hand the effects of divided loyalties."

"As Sai said, I'm not Danzo. My policies are very similar to yours. A bit less ruthless, a bit more trusting, but similar. And I've never had the need to directly state such things, so the ANBU will only act according to my wishes if the situation is ambiguous and they judge trying it my way to be an acceptable risk. Which you would want anyway, am I right? And when you're ready to retire I'll take the hat and we won't have to worry about it anymore."

"And the next time there's a crisis? I can't have my authority undermined."

Kakashi cleared his throat softly, easily ignored.

"Can Kakashi weigh in?" Naruto requested immediately.

Tsunade waved her permission.

"Setting aside that it was on Naruto's orders, there was nothing amiss with today's response. If you sanctioned Naruto to have authority in such situations, then your own could not be undermined."

"And I'm sure that would go over so well with the regular forces."

"Shikaku would agree," Naruto pointed out. The former Bat was not as enthralled by Naruto as most, but he was still loyal. "And if he is willing, Chouza and Inoichi will as well. The rest of the former ANBU will have no objections. Gai will follow Kakashi's lead, and Asuma and Kurenai will go along with them. With that you would have the leaders as well as enough momentum among the jounin."

"The Hyuuga will fight it."

Naruto blinked. "Er. You know Hiashi used to be Rabbit, right? He's practically my uncle. I'd say big brother but that'd be weird 'cause of Neji."

"You're serious."

"Jiji made sure I wouldn't get refused the hat. Even the Council will have to hand it over with every shinobi supporting me."

"That devious old man."

"And he taught me for almost a decade," Naruto chirped.

"Now I understand why there was no backlash over you and the Hatake."

Naruto snorted. "Voyeurs."

"I did not need to know that," Sasuke muttered.

"Alright, brat. Go get some sleep. We'll work out the details tomorrow."

* * *

Kakashi found Naruto backed up against a wall, holding the hand Neji wasn't trapping him with and whispering rapidly.

Neji dropped his other hand to cup Naruto's cheek, and murmured something back.

Kakashi backed away and pretended to have seen nothing.

Naruto, of course, noticed that Kakashi was more withdrawn that evening. He paused in making dinner and settled on his partner's lap.

"Kashi?"

Kakashi shut his eye and sorted through Naruto's scent until he found the traces Neji had left. His hand curled into a fist.

"Kakashi? What's wrong?"

His prince wouldn't do that to him. He knew that. He knew there was a perfectly reasonable explanation. But Kakashi didn't want to hear it, because then his fury at the way Naruto had just _let_ Neji touch him wouldn't be justified. Even if Kakashi didn't feel like there was any excuse.

Naruto leaned in and rested his head against Kakashi's shoulder. He ran his fingers up and down Kakashi's chest soothingly.

Kakashi did not want to be soothed.

He couldn't reject his prince.

Kakashi let himself maneuver Naruto's neck so that he could kiss along his prince's jaw.

"Kashi. You have to tell me."

"Mm."

"No." Naruto pulled away. "Kakashi, I can feel how unhappy you are. Tell me what's wrong."

"I saw you and Neji. In the hall."

"Oh, Kashi," Naruto breathed. "You know I'm yours."

"You let him touch you."

Naruto set his forehead against Kakashi's. "I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. I wanted to refuse him gently, but I shouldn't have done it that way. I never would have if I'd realized you wouldn't like it."

"I want to be angry."

"Are you?"

"Yes. At you and Neji and myself."

"Yourself? It was me who messed up."

"I shouldn't be so dependent. If you didn't want me, I'd be. I'd."

Kakashi couldn't finish the statement. He kissed Naruto lightly.

Naruto kissed him again after he'd drawn away. "Would you survive me dying?"

Kakashi's entire body spasmed in rejection of the idea, but he gritted his teeth. "Yes."

"I'm glad. But let's not go dying on each other, alright? Or leaving. Or changing our minds. Or anything."

"I didn't plan on it."

"I planned against it, in fact," Naruto joked. His smile fell away and he stroked Kakashi's face. "Do you need a full report on what happened with Neji? You can get mad again and yell."

Kakashi wanted to be good and say that he didn't. "Please."

"Okay. Dinner first so we don't have to get up later?"

"Yes."

* * *

Jiraiya finally cornered Kakashi while Naruto was away enjoying a mission alone with Sasuke.

Going to the hot springs with the old lecher was a terrible idea. But Kakashi could admit that he was interested in what Naruto's godfather had to say.

"Want to take a little peak over the fence? Naruto will never know."

"He'll know," Kakashi countered. His prince had ways.

Jiraiya let the grin slip from his face.

"He's very attached to you."

"It's almost like we're in a committed relationship. Oh, wait."

"I know, I know. I won't try to split you two up. What I want to know is how much influence you have over his decisions. Apparently, he's going to be the next Hokage."

"He didn't tell you that while you were dragging him across the continent?"

"Of course." Jiraiya frowned. "I thought he was optimistic."

Kakashi waited.

"How much of what he's doing right now is you pulling the strings?"

"He's on a mission with Sasuke, so I assume they're both using what I taught them, if that's what you mean."

"You know it isn't."

Kakashi sighed. "No one pulls Naruto's strings. He's the one that has us all dancing to his tune. We can only be glad he is a kind and benevolent dictator."

"I don't believe you."

"I'm exaggerating. But my point stands."

"He's fifteen."

"And Gaara's Kazekage."

The two men sat in silence while Kakashi decided how to get Jiraiya to back off.

"You know that old tradition of claiming?"

Jiraiya soured. "I already know."

"You may know, but you don't understand. That's reasonable. It's not your tradition." Kakashi held up his wrist, showing Jiraiya the wide, twin scars. There was currently a second bite layered over them. "This shows I belong to Naruto." He tapped his neck. "Naruto has a similar mark right here. That shows he belongs to me. My mark on him means that I exist for him. I work toward his goals and I make decisions based on what he would want. It is the highest honor, as it means that I am privy to those goals and desires." He tapped his wrist. "His mark on me means that he acknowledges that I am devoted to him. He plans with the assumption that he has my complete loyalty, and accepts responsibility for my actions and well-being. ANBU tattoos perform a similar function, to a lesser extent, with loyalty being directed toward the village."

Kakashi let his arms drop back under water.

"That sounds more … imbalanced than I'd heard."

"You thought they signify commitment to romantic entanglement, I assume. Some marks do. Ours don't."

"So if you were to, say, betray the village. He would be considered responsible, according to you?"

"If I were to do that, yes. Because I would either be working under his orders or under an outside influence which he failed to protect me from."

Jiraiya sighed. "That sounds like the Daimyo's vassals."

"If that helps you understand."

"You don't pull his strings. He pulls yours."

The corners of Kakashi's mouth twitched upward. "More like I happily pull my own strings at his direction."

"Do you have any loyalty to Konoha anymore, or is Naruto all that's in your head?"

"I would choose Naruto over Konoha, but Konoha over anything else. And given that Naruto was abused by this village for over a decade and retains his loyalty to it, I don't see there being a conflict of interest. I believe Sasuke feels similarly, if you would like to report that to Tsunade-sama, as well."

"Sasuke. You think there's any funny business going on between the two of them?"

"If there was, I wouldn't tell you without their permission," Kakashi pointed out. The thought had occurred to him, of course. But that pair communicated mostly through significant looks and sheer willpower. Kakashi was the one that got whispered endearments and gentle touches.

"If there was. So there isn't?" Jiraiya chuckled, somehow making the sound condescending.

"Is that a jealous silence I hear?"

"No. Is there anything else?"

Jiraiya sobered again. "You picked up those 'traditions' from being in that crowd. I can't believe the old man would have had Naruto around them enough for that."

"It would only have taken a few curious questions to the right nin."

"So you don't know? How can you be sure the two of you are on the same page?"

Kakashi didn't deign to answer before he left.

* * *

Naruto squirmed beneath him, gasping. "Kakashi. Please. Oh, Kami. Please."

Kakashi lowered himself to his elbows and kissed his mark on Naruto's neck.

"Kakashi!" Naruto arched up, fingers digging into Kakashi's biceps.

"Over now, my Naru." Kakashi ran fingers through Naruto's sweaty spikes of hair. "You okay?"

Naruto took a few deep breathes. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright." He wiggled again. "Just don't stop."

Kakashi chuckled and let all his weight rest on one arm so he could run the other hand over Naruto's bare chest. He peppered his prince's face with kisses.

Naruto came back to himself enough to search out Kakashi's wrist and dig a thumb into the scars. Kakashi moaned.

"Can you imagine if Baa-chan heard you make a sound like that?" The boy giggled.

"Never mention the old woman during sex again. For the sake of my sanity."

"Jiraiya would probably describe it for his next book."

"That's worse!"

Naruto laughed and kissed Kakashi until they'd both once again forgotten anyone but each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally there was another chapter featuring some Naruto/Sasuke (and a tiny bit of NaruSasuKaka), but I decided that that didn't really flow with the fic. If you'd like to read it anyway, it's available on my tumblr.


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